Government

“The deficit is so overwhelming that it’s hard to even think about what the other issues would be,” said Senator Sandy Pappas (D-St. Paul), expressing what might be the only easy consensus about the legislative session that begins January 6. From higher education to green jobs to child care to roads and bridges, the deficit looms over all other issues. MORE »

During the era of “no new taxes,” Minnesota is primarily addressing rising budget shortfalls by cutting much-needed aid to local governments and jacking up regressive fees on Minnesota families. Relying on these policies alone to resolve the $5.5 billion deficit would have disastrous repercussions for our state. MORE »

Many Minnesota homeowners are a bit befuddled these days. Why, if the value of my house is declining, are my property taxes going up? MORE »

Diana Thompson’s eyes filled with tears as she described how she came to spend Christmas at a shelter this year. She had been the only tenant in a building fallen into complete disrepair. The building was foreclosed, and then condemned, and Thompson was ordered to leave on December 1. The mother of a two children, one of whom is disabled, she gathered all the belongings she could carry and stayed in a motel for 12 days, and then moved into a shelter. Her landlord never returned her phone calls, and she has lost most of her possessions, including toys for her children, furniture, and clothes, due to the rushed move. “I hope something is done in the future,” Thompson said, “because I don’t want to ever do this again.” MORE »

Community leaders all across Minnesota are making lists, checking them twice, and it hasn’t anything to do with Christmas or Hanukkah. MORE »

President-elect Barack Obama made good on his promise to include the opposition in his cabinet. Democratic and Republican insiders confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that Republican Rep. Ray LaHood will be nominated as the next Secretary of Transportation. While LaHood is seen as a moderate Republican with a strong bipartisan record, his record on transportation issues is scant. MORE »

The state budget deficit crisis is monumental. As the legislature reconvenes in January, they will be faced with decisions about cutting programs, raising taxes and deficit spending. The state of Minnesota cannot run a budget deficit, but issuing bonds to pay for state spending is an option that looks something like deficit spending. Bonding means basically taking out loans to cover spending and paying them back over the long term. Bonding typically covers construction and public works projects.

The Minnesota House of Representatives has set up a webpage to gather your comments on the budget deficit, which totals $426 million this biennium and $4.8 billion for FY 2010-11. Those comments will not be published. We’d also like to invite your comments, suggestions and ideas — and if you comment to the TC Daily Planet, your comment will be published. For short comments, click on the comment link at the bottom of the story. For longer comments, send an email to editor@tcdailyplanet.net. MORE »

I was killing time on a back bench of an eighth floor Ramsey County courtroom on Wednesday, waiting with about 50 others for something to happen (all the action in the RNC8 case that day took place behind closed doors, as it turned out), when someone who looked familiar took a seat in the next row. Could it be Coleen Rowley, famed FBI whistleblower, TIME magazine’s 2002 Person of the Year and the Democratic-Farmer-League Party’s 2006 candidate in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District? Indeed it was. MORE »