Decisions made in St. Paul cast a long shadow

By Rep. Brita Sailer
Minnesota House

Each day in the Legislature, we hear some pretty compelling stories. From college students facing crippling debt as they approach graduation, to senior citizens unable to meet the rising cost of property taxes that threaten to drive them out of their homes and from parents concerned about growing class sizes and dwindling extra-curricular programs.  There are stories about years-long waiting lists for childcare, and cancer patients who wonder if they'll be able to afford the cost of their treatment or long-term care needs.  Real stories from real people who experience real consequences as a result of every vote we take at the Capitol. Our actions don't always directly impact my friends or family, but taken a step or two beyond my door, impact thousands of people across the state. There is a powerful connection between actions and consequences.

The consequences of the budget policies of the last for years have been grave. Early childhood and Head Start, K-12 and higher education, aid to nursing homes, counties and cities have all been slashed since 2003, and under funded in years prior to that.  During the first weeks of this session, I've listened to hours of testimony about what those cuts have really meant, and spent many more hours working to find ways to start reversing the damage.

For the first time in four years we have an opportunity to start moving forward to repair some of these harmful cuts.  In the House, we've crafted an Early Childhood bill that restores Head Start funding and reduces co-pays and waiting lists for childcare programs.  We've introduced a plan that will make sure every child in Minnesota gets to see a doctor – not only when they are seriously ill, but to get routine care and immunizations to keep them healthy. The House K – 12 Education bill is one of the strongest proposals in years and would go far toward ensuring Northern Minnesota schools regain their financial footing and can remain competitive with other high performing districts.

One of the most significant proposals we've introduced would give real and lasting property tax relief to almost every Minnesota property tax payer in every corner of the state.  It would create a fourth income tax tier for the state's wealthiest citizens - those couples earning more than $400,000 thousand after deductions and individuals earning more than $226,000 after deductions. Impacting fewer than 28,000 filers statewide, and fewer than two dozen in our district, this new tier goes directly to property tax payers and would build fairness into a tax system sorely in need of it, providing real relief to those who need it the most – including senior citizens and young families just starting out.          

I've talked before about the degree of competition that exists for state dollars this year. I continue to believe our priorities must be our youngest citizens, our youth, our seniors and some sort of property tax relief, values reflected in the proposals we see coming forward. Still it's unlikely we can do everything we'd like.  That's where it starts to get tricky – we'll have to fight the urge to "rob Peter to pay Paul" that lures us into a trap of funding higher education at the expense of nursing homes, or raising property taxes to fund our schools.

Regardless of the fact that our state is separated into districts, and our country separated into states, what we do here matters, in ways both large and small.  I work every day to represent not only Northern Minnesota, but also the common good of our entire state. Remembering that as we move forward to the second half of the 2007 Legislative Session will be essential, as we try to find honest, fair and responsible ways to meet the needs of all Minnesotans.

You can contact Rep. Brita Sailer at (651) 296-4265, 577 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Boulevard, St. Paul, MN 55155 or via e-mail at rep.brita.sailer@house.mn.