No-show debates: Are we even talking any more?

It was billed as a candidate forum on issues facing Dakota County. But Monday night's event felt more than a little hollow: No Republicans showed up.

And it wasn't the first time it has happened.

When the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce held a similar event not long ago, not a single DFLer came.

"I had seven Democrats calling me one after another," said president Ruthe Batulis, "to give me lame excuses as to why they wouldn't be there."

When she placed placards in front of empty chairs to show she hadn't just invited the one side, she added, she got an angry call from a candidate accusing her of trying to make them look bad.

"I'm very disappointed," she said. "Our chamber members are disappointed it became so partisan. I've never had candidates not show up. I've been here seven years and in Bloomington before that -- I've been in the business 10 years -- and never had all the candidates [of one party] refuse to show up. It's a sorry state of affairs."

Has it gotten that bad? We're not even talking anymore?

"I don't think it's a coordinated effort by either side. It's obviously a very busy time. We try to get to as many as we can, but the focus has to be on voters. Not many people go to these events," and even those who do will often not be voting in a given candidate's district.

"To give you an example, while I was driving out of my way to go to the Dakota County event in Hastings, I had the state Senate Republican candidate in my own precinct, door-knocking, and when I came back I saw several more signs in peoples' yards."

Republican Senate candidate Dan Hall of Burnsville concurs. "I personally think with all the other means of communication that are out there, it's almost like they're outdated," he said. "A few are fine, but I don't think we need debates. People who watch debates have already made up their minds."

None of which prevents candidates of either party from seeking to score political points over an opponent's no-show.

"Tonight I participated in the Dakota County Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum during which we discussed how to best create a more pro-business environment to create jobs," Republican Senate candidate Ted Daley of Eagan declared on his Facebook page. "Unfortunately, my opponent declined to participate in this election's most important discussion -- jobs and the economy."

The Hastings forum, organized by the Dakota County Board and an association of like-minded counties, involved a series of questions about adequate funding for counties.

Much of it was so inside-baseball that lawmakers themselves conceded they didn't even know that much about some issues they were being questioned about. Others were more broadly based: Funding for transit and transportation for instance.

The DFL pitch was for adequate spending. "There's a direct correlation between the quality of infrastructure and the businesses that will come to your area," said Rep. Sandra Masin, DFL-Eagan. "It's life-and-death sometimes -- some roads, if they aren't fixed, will be the scene of accidents."

The main dissent came from a Constitution Party candidate from Burnsville, Bruce Johnson, who did agree with others about the state not interfering in local tax-setting but questioned some human services spending and the cost-effectiveness of extending new rail lines outside the metro area.

The lines of thought within the parties are very clear this year, said Republican Hall. "The Democrats have shown their hand. Raising taxes is their answer. That's killing our economy and killing jobs."

With the bulk of state spending going to local schools, counties and others, said Sen. Jim Carlson of Eagan, there aren't that many hides to take a $6 billion deficit out of. Asked later about adequate funding for public defenders, he added:

"We can't make hard-and-fast promises: That $6 billion deficit is a can we've been kicking down the road," delaying its impact from session to session, "and we can't kick it any longer. We have to face it."

Asked about a sentence-to-service program that costs money but is aimed at saving more by keeping people out of jail, DFL Sen. John Doll said: "I'm not sure we can do that in the next biennium, but I'm wholeheartedly supportive of the idea."

Lawmakers also reminded county officials that they haven't been doing that badly, money-wise: Many millions, for instance, have gone into the Bus Rapid Transit project along Cedar Avenue, and many lawmakers put their necks on the line for a gas-tax hike that cost some their seats.

In an interview later, Obermueller said the hyper-partisan angle is one that can be overplayed. "We pass probably 85 percent of our bills with broad bipartisan support," he said.