Governor's Budget Falls Short Critics Say by Barb Kucera, Editor, Association

(ISSN 0023-6667) Governor's budget falls short critics say By Barb Kucera, editor, Association. Schaubach. "However, because www.workdayminnesota.org "People still have health care of proposed changes in how ST. PAUL – Governor Tim needs," said MNA President state funding is calculated, it is Pawlenty's plan to balance the Monica Vollmuth. "Without unclear whether individual state's books over the next two health coverage they'll wind up school districts will ultimately years falls short in several areas, using the emergency rooms at see increases or decreases in including education, child care 10 times the costs." The expense overall funding. and health care, labor leaders is simply passed onto Minne- "Additionally, the governor’s and others say. sota taxpayers through higher proposal did not address restora- Pawlenty's almost $30 bil- premiums, longer emergency tion of $185 million in funding An Injury To One Is An Injury To All! lion budget depends on revenue room visits and more uncom- cuts that hit our schools this Published by and for Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body Affiliated Unions from a state-licensed casino and pensated care to hospitals, she year. Those cuts affected critical WEDNESDAY VOL. 110 cuts in the state-run Minnesota- said. programs, including many that Care health plan. The cuts mean low-income helped at-risk kids. The budget FEBRUARY 2, 2005 NO. 16 "It's clear that, in times of Minnesotans will bear the brunt plan appears to fall short of limited resources, you can't do of balancing the state budget, keeping our schools on pace everything, and certainly can't said Tarryl Clark of the with inflation. At the same time, do everything well," he said Jan. Minnesota Community Action Minnesota’s lack of investment 25 in announcing the plan. "We Association. in education is threatening the have this explosion of welfare "An alternative would actu- nation-leading outcomes our health care costs that is devour- ally be to expand Minnesota- teachers and students produce ing our budget at a rate and pace Care, because it has been a year-in and year-out." and scope that is unsustainable." proven model," she said. "You Organizations representing Minnesota has a $700 mil- can expand it to use it as a pur- low-income workers and child lion deficit, not including infla- chasing pool for small business- care workers decried Pawlenty's tion. The governor's budget is es and others around the state." proposal to freeze the reim- considered a starting point for Education needs not met bursement rate for child care debate in the Legislature. Pawlenty's budget does call providers. His proposal would drop for increased funding for educa- That decision amounts to a almost 30,000 adults without tion, but educators say it's not $70 million dollar cut in child children from MinnesotaCare enough to meet current needs – care programs that would hurt The Citizens In Action forum continues to grow with over 200 and cut funding to hospitals – or make up for past shortfalls in Minnesota families and chil- participants, 14 elected officials among them, at the event last areas that already were slashed funding. dren, said Ann Kaner-Roth of Saturday at UMD. Workshops and roundtable discussions in the last state budget. "The details of the budget are the advocacy organization educate participants about government and show them how to "These cuts are ruinous to still unclear, but the governor Childcare Works. "What that make a positive difference in their communities. It’s free, too. our patients, and they will ulti- said he is proposing a modest 2 means is a continued and Citizens need to talk to their elected officials, tell them what’s mately drive health care costs percent increase in the general increased restriction of access on their minds, and tell them what they want them to do, said up, not down," warned Erin education formula for each of for low-income, at-risk children Rep. Karen Clark (D-South Minneapolis). Murphy, executive director of the two years in the budget to any level of quality licensed the Minnesota Nurses plan," said Education childcare programs." Progressive Dems hear it Minnesota President Judy See Pawlenty’s budget...page 7 A listening session last Friday night in Cloquet introduced northern Minnesotans to a new Progressive Democrats caucus. DFL legislators want higher minimum wage While those politics have been prevalent in this region for quite By Barb Kucera, editor, companies to pay a higher wage ers at the $7- or $8-an-hour some time, the hope is that a progressive message can be framed www.workdayminnesota.org and it would hurt the economy. level who will experience an better to present to like-minded people nationwide. ST. PAUL – A state Senate Seven years ago, Congress upward push in their pay. “We want to work with groups outside the DFL, we want set the federal minimum wage at Under the legislation, the Democratic think tanks, we want to work with the Green Party,” committee Wednesday approv- ed legislation, SF 3, that would $5.15 an hour. Since then, 15 wage would go to $6.10 an hour said Demi Miller, who has been attending sessions in Washington. states and the District of July 1 of this year and $7 an During the listening session two Democratic National raise the minimum wage in Minnesota to $7 an hour by July Columbia have mandated a hour in July 2006. Committee members, Rick Stafford, former chair of the MN DFL, higher minimum. If the mini- Markusen said research and Jackie Stevenson, were in attendance. Here’s what they heard: 1, 2006. The measure now goes to the full Senate for a vote. mum wage had kept pace with shows minimum wage increases • Democrats can’t ignore red states or areas of Minnesota that inflation since the late 1960s, it benefit the economy. "There is don’t vote Democratic, rural areas and precinct levels need help; Proponents, including labor unions and churches, said low- would be $8.46 an hour. no evidence an increase in the • Bush was elected, forget it and start being the spine for elect- "To have the strongest econ- minimum wage will hurt small ed officials by providing energy on the issues on the local level; wage workers deserve to earn more and the extra money they omy of the 21st century, we do business," she said. "It will not • Don’t try to persuade people to be progressive, most are, help not leave the lowest-wage work- cause job loss or capital flight." them get out of the closet; make will benefit the entire Minnesota economy. Oppo- ers behind," the bill's author, She called the proposed • Start framing issues to win the House in 2006 and find good state Senator Ellen Anderson, wage increase modest and said candidates for governor, secretary of state and attorney general, nents, primarily businesses, said government should not force testified before the Senate Jobs, it was in line with previous posts that can insure fair and clean elections; Housing and Community increases passed by Congress • National health care and a passable cap on Social Security are Development Committee. A and the Legislature. the two most important issues; wage of "$5.15 an hour really Other speakers said a higher • Our education system is like a farmer who thinks he’s fatten- doesn't meet that basic standard wage is a matter of fairness. ing up hogs by weighing them, let’s get back to real funding; of fairness." "A person's labor should pro- • Stand up to corporations, get the money out of politics, we Legislators held hearings last vide for basic needs," said Brian don’t need Democrats chasing money around the country, it makes fall in Alexandria, Chisago, Rusche, director of the Joint the party too centrist and look where that has gotten us; Park Rapids and Worthington, Religious Legislative Coalition. • Democrats need to stand up and say the war in Iraq is wrong, and heard that the need for a His organization represents show some leadership at the top for the feeling in the grassroots; higher wage is greater in rural Catholic, Lutheran, Jewish and • Quit being led by Republicans, it’s turned Democrats into areas than in the Twin Cities, Muslim faith communities -- all GOP-Lite, take the case to them for justice, peace and labor rights; Anderson said. of whom support a higher mini- • Environmental issues need to be brought back into the discus- mum wage, he said. sion with a respect for science, and don’t depend on foreign oil; Benefits 20% of workforce About 550,000 Minnesotans While union members rarely • Craft all messages around the working class and fight for it. earn the minimum wage, they Following the listening session a discussion was held about the – one fifth of the workforce – would benefit from a minimum overwhelmingly support an Feb. 12 vote by the 450-member Democratic National Committee increase that would benefit for party chair. There are seven men who appear to be frontrunners, Operating Engineers #49’s wage increase, University of Minnesota Professor Ann lower-paid workers, said Brad including Howard Dean. one is a minority and one is against a Mike Kuitu told a Progressive Lehto, Minnesota AFL-CIO woman’s right to choose. Democrat’s listening session Markusen, an economist, testified. That number includes not legislative director. "We believe AFSCME 66’s Sharla Gardner said anyone that isn’t a member that the party has to quit ask- that it's the right thing to do." of the conservative Democratic Leadership Council would be okay.

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