A conversation: What to do with $1.869B surplus?

Minnesota’s budget surplus has ballooned to $1.869 billion, an increase of $832 million since last November’s forecast. The increase was “caused principally by Minnesota’s continued economic growth that exceeded economists’ predictions just three months ago,” Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Feb. 27. There are about as many opinions about what to do with the money as there are politicians in St. Paul. With the Republican Party of Minnesota launching a give-it-all-back campaign this week, the time seems ripe for a roundup of opinions - and for an invitation: What do you think should happen to Minnesota’s nearly $2 billion surplus? Spend it? On what? Return it to taxpayers? Which taxpayers? Something else? Send your thoughts to letters@duluthnews.com. ‘Not a bad policy ... to send it all back’
“The state shouldn’t just take that extra money and spend it. Arguably, it’s tax revenue and tax increases, and we should be returning that to the people of Minnesota. If you actually just returned it to the people, you’d send back $350 a person or $1,400 for a family of four. … It’s not a bad policy, if we overcharged the people of Minnesota, to send it all back. … The right thing to do is return that and prioritize family budgets over the state budget. … “If you look at state spending, the numbers are so incredible. … The state budget increased almost 12 percent in the last biennium. And if we adopt the governor’s budget proposal, it’s going to grow 12 percent again. … If you look at a $34 billion budget two years ago vs. the $42 (billion) and change in the governor’s proposal, that’s an $8 billion biennial spending increase in just four years. So our argument is, ‘Boy, if you can’t fund your priorities with an $8 billion spending increase, what’s happening?’ And then on top of that, we have a $2 billion surplus and then in the next biennium (an expected) $3 billion surplus. That’s $5 billion more money coming in to state coffers than is needed to spend. And on top of that, the Democrats are proposing a $6 million tax increase. How in the world can we not fund our priorities while at the same time giving the surplus back?”- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey in an interview Thursday with the News Tribune Opinion page ‘Help Minnesota families’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585372","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Kurt Daudt","width":"84"}}]]“The $1.9 billion budget surplus means Democrats can stop talking about a gas tax in St. Paul. … “The new House Republican majority is going to put some of those surplus dollars back in Minnesotans’ pockets. That’s what is going to help Minnesota families and help Minnesota’s economy.”- House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in an interview with ABC Newspapers ‘Restraint, responsibility and balance’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585373","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"84","title":"","width":"120"}}]]“Politics aside, if there is to be a surplus for 2015 and beyond - if somehow inflation doesn’t gobble up every bit of it - Minnesota taxpayers can insist on a responsible, balanced strategy for the money as they did in March when another $1 billion surplus was being forecast, the first in the state since at least 1999. The governor and state lawmakers responded then with a mix of tax cuts, investments and even a healthy deposit in the state’s long-neglected reserve funds. “They can respond with the same restraint, responsibility and balance (now).”- From a Duluth News Tribune editorial of Dec. 14 ‘Education and transportation … remain my focus’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585375","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Mark Dayton","width":"85"}}]]“There are certainly things most of us want and need. “However, we have no assurance that this national economic recovery will last indefinitely. History assures us that it won’t. ... “So I propose that we invest our collective good fortune in our collective better future. In education and transportation. For ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And for the generations that will follow. Since we may not have the same opportunities in the years ahead, it’s even more important that we do it now. “My January budget proposal focused on those two principal areas: education and transportation. They will remain my focus in my Supplemental Budget proposal. …- Gov. Mark Dayton in a prepared statement Feb. 27 ‘Wise investments tied to economic growth’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585376","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Ken Martin","width":"83"}}]]“DFL leaders have made it a priority to improve the economy, create jobs, and invest in education. We’ve seen great progress, evident in today’s budget surplus. But we know more work needs to be done. “By using the budget surplus for wise investments tied to economic growth like early-childhood education and fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges, we will build a better Minnesota where everyone is taking part in our economic success.”- DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a prepared statement Feb. 27 ‘Stash some of this surplus’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585377","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Tom Bakk","width":"83"}}]]“I think we would be wise to stash some of this surplus away in the event we’re not successful in court, and I understand that’s going to happen likely sometime later this year.”- Sen. Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, speaking with reporters in St. Paul earlier this month, referring to a pending tax lawsuit against the stateMinnesota’s budget surplus has ballooned to $1.869 billion, an increase of $832 million since last November’s forecast. The increase was “caused principally by Minnesota’s continued economic growth that exceeded economists’ predictions just three months ago,” Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Feb. 27. There are about as many opinions about what to do with the money as there are politicians in St. Paul. With the Republican Party of Minnesota launching a give-it-all-back campaign this week, the time seems ripe for a roundup of opinions - and for an invitation: What do you think should happen to Minnesota’s nearly $2 billion surplus? Spend it? On what? Return it to taxpayers? Which taxpayers? Something else? Send your thoughts to letters@duluthnews.com. ‘Not a bad policy ... to send it all back’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585368","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Keith Downey","width":"84"}}]]“The state shouldn’t just take that extra money and spend it. Arguably, it’s tax revenue and tax increases, and we should be returning that to the people of Minnesota. If you actually just returned it to the people, you’d send back $350 a person or $1,400 for a family of four. … It’s not a bad policy, if we overcharged the people of Minnesota, to send it all back. … The right thing to do is return that and prioritize family budgets over the state budget. … “If you look at state spending, the numbers are so incredible. … The state budget increased almost 12 percent in the last biennium. And if we adopt the governor’s budget proposal, it’s going to grow 12 percent again. … If you look at a $34 billion budget two years ago vs. the $42 (billion) and change in the governor’s proposal, that’s an $8 billion biennial spending increase in just four years. So our argument is, ‘Boy, if you can’t fund your priorities with an $8 billion spending increase, what’s happening?’ And then on top of that, we have a $2 billion surplus and then in the next biennium (an expected) $3 billion surplus. That’s $5 billion more money coming in to state coffers than is needed to spend. And on top of that, the Democrats are proposing a $6 million tax increase. How in the world can we not fund our priorities while at the same time giving the surplus back?”- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey in an interview Thursday with the News Tribune Opinion page ‘Help Minnesota families’
“The $1.9 billion budget surplus means Democrats can stop talking about a gas tax in St. Paul. … “The new House Republican majority is going to put some of those surplus dollars back in Minnesotans’ pockets. That’s what is going to help Minnesota families and help Minnesota’s economy.”- House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in an interview with ABC Newspapers ‘Restraint, responsibility and balance’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585373","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"84","title":"","width":"120"}}]]“Politics aside, if there is to be a surplus for 2015 and beyond - if somehow inflation doesn’t gobble up every bit of it - Minnesota taxpayers can insist on a responsible, balanced strategy for the money as they did in March when another $1 billion surplus was being forecast, the first in the state since at least 1999. The governor and state lawmakers responded then with a mix of tax cuts, investments and even a healthy deposit in the state’s long-neglected reserve funds. “They can respond with the same restraint, responsibility and balance (now).”- From a Duluth News Tribune editorial of Dec. 14 ‘Education and transportation … remain my focus’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585375","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Mark Dayton","width":"85"}}]]“There are certainly things most of us want and need. “However, we have no assurance that this national economic recovery will last indefinitely. History assures us that it won’t. ... “So I propose that we invest our collective good fortune in our collective better future. In education and transportation. For ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And for the generations that will follow. Since we may not have the same opportunities in the years ahead, it’s even more important that we do it now. “My January budget proposal focused on those two principal areas: education and transportation. They will remain my focus in my Supplemental Budget proposal. …- Gov. Mark Dayton in a prepared statement Feb. 27 ‘Wise investments tied to economic growth’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585376","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Ken Martin","width":"83"}}]]“DFL leaders have made it a priority to improve the economy, create jobs, and invest in education. We’ve seen great progress, evident in today’s budget surplus. But we know more work needs to be done. “By using the budget surplus for wise investments tied to economic growth like early-childhood education and fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges, we will build a better Minnesota where everyone is taking part in our economic success.”- DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a prepared statement Feb. 27 ‘Stash some of this surplus’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585377","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Tom Bakk","width":"83"}}]]“I think we would be wise to stash some of this surplus away in the event we’re not successful in court, and I understand that’s going to happen likely sometime later this year.”- Sen. Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, speaking with reporters in St. Paul earlier this month, referring to a pending tax lawsuit against the stateMinnesota’s budget surplus has ballooned to $1.869 billion, an increase of $832 million since last November’s forecast. The increase was “caused principally by Minnesota’s continued economic growth that exceeded economists’ predictions just three months ago,” Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Feb. 27. There are about as many opinions about what to do with the money as there are politicians in St. Paul. With the Republican Party of Minnesota launching a give-it-all-back campaign this week, the time seems ripe for a roundup of opinions - and for an invitation: What do you think should happen to Minnesota’s nearly $2 billion surplus? Spend it? On what? Return it to taxpayers? Which taxpayers? Something else? Send your thoughts to letters@duluthnews.com. ‘Not a bad policy ... to send it all back’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585368","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Keith Downey","width":"84"}}]]“The state shouldn’t just take that extra money and spend it. Arguably, it’s tax revenue and tax increases, and we should be returning that to the people of Minnesota. If you actually just returned it to the people, you’d send back $350 a person or $1,400 for a family of four. … It’s not a bad policy, if we overcharged the people of Minnesota, to send it all back. … The right thing to do is return that and prioritize family budgets over the state budget. … “If you look at state spending, the numbers are so incredible. … The state budget increased almost 12 percent in the last biennium. And if we adopt the governor’s budget proposal, it’s going to grow 12 percent again. … If you look at a $34 billion budget two years ago vs. the $42 (billion) and change in the governor’s proposal, that’s an $8 billion biennial spending increase in just four years. So our argument is, ‘Boy, if you can’t fund your priorities with an $8 billion spending increase, what’s happening?’ And then on top of that, we have a $2 billion surplus and then in the next biennium (an expected) $3 billion surplus. That’s $5 billion more money coming in to state coffers than is needed to spend. And on top of that, the Democrats are proposing a $6 million tax increase. How in the world can we not fund our priorities while at the same time giving the surplus back?”- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey in an interview Thursday with the News Tribune Opinion page ‘Help Minnesota families’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585372","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Kurt Daudt","width":"84"}}]]“The $1.9 billion budget surplus means Democrats can stop talking about a gas tax in St. Paul. … “The new House Republican majority is going to put some of those surplus dollars back in Minnesotans’ pockets. That’s what is going to help Minnesota families and help Minnesota’s economy.”- House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in an interview with ABC Newspapers ‘Restraint, responsibility and balance’
“Politics aside, if there is to be a surplus for 2015 and beyond - if somehow inflation doesn’t gobble up every bit of it - Minnesota taxpayers can insist on a responsible, balanced strategy for the money as they did in March when another $1 billion surplus was being forecast, the first in the state since at least 1999. The governor and state lawmakers responded then with a mix of tax cuts, investments and even a healthy deposit in the state’s long-neglected reserve funds. “They can respond with the same restraint, responsibility and balance (now).”- From a Duluth News Tribune editorial of Dec. 14 ‘Education and transportation … remain my focus’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585375","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Mark Dayton","width":"85"}}]]“There are certainly things most of us want and need. “However, we have no assurance that this national economic recovery will last indefinitely. History assures us that it won’t. ... “So I propose that we invest our collective good fortune in our collective better future. In education and transportation. For ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And for the generations that will follow. Since we may not have the same opportunities in the years ahead, it’s even more important that we do it now. “My January budget proposal focused on those two principal areas: education and transportation. They will remain my focus in my Supplemental Budget proposal. …- Gov. Mark Dayton in a prepared statement Feb. 27 ‘Wise investments tied to economic growth’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585376","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Ken Martin","width":"83"}}]]“DFL leaders have made it a priority to improve the economy, create jobs, and invest in education. We’ve seen great progress, evident in today’s budget surplus. But we know more work needs to be done. “By using the budget surplus for wise investments tied to economic growth like early-childhood education and fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges, we will build a better Minnesota where everyone is taking part in our economic success.”- DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a prepared statement Feb. 27 ‘Stash some of this surplus’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585377","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Tom Bakk","width":"83"}}]]“I think we would be wise to stash some of this surplus away in the event we’re not successful in court, and I understand that’s going to happen likely sometime later this year.”- Sen. Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, speaking with reporters in St. Paul earlier this month, referring to a pending tax lawsuit against the stateMinnesota’s budget surplus has ballooned to $1.869 billion, an increase of $832 million since last November’s forecast. The increase was “caused principally by Minnesota’s continued economic growth that exceeded economists’ predictions just three months ago,” Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Feb. 27. There are about as many opinions about what to do with the money as there are politicians in St. Paul. With the Republican Party of Minnesota launching a give-it-all-back campaign this week, the time seems ripe for a roundup of opinions - and for an invitation: What do you think should happen to Minnesota’s nearly $2 billion surplus? Spend it? On what? Return it to taxpayers? Which taxpayers? Something else? Send your thoughts to letters@duluthnews.com. ‘Not a bad policy ... to send it all back’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585368","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Keith Downey","width":"84"}}]]“The state shouldn’t just take that extra money and spend it. Arguably, it’s tax revenue and tax increases, and we should be returning that to the people of Minnesota. If you actually just returned it to the people, you’d send back $350 a person or $1,400 for a family of four. … It’s not a bad policy, if we overcharged the people of Minnesota, to send it all back. … The right thing to do is return that and prioritize family budgets over the state budget. … “If you look at state spending, the numbers are so incredible. … The state budget increased almost 12 percent in the last biennium. And if we adopt the governor’s budget proposal, it’s going to grow 12 percent again. … If you look at a $34 billion budget two years ago vs. the $42 (billion) and change in the governor’s proposal, that’s an $8 billion biennial spending increase in just four years. So our argument is, ‘Boy, if you can’t fund your priorities with an $8 billion spending increase, what’s happening?’ And then on top of that, we have a $2 billion surplus and then in the next biennium (an expected) $3 billion surplus. That’s $5 billion more money coming in to state coffers than is needed to spend. And on top of that, the Democrats are proposing a $6 million tax increase. How in the world can we not fund our priorities while at the same time giving the surplus back?”- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey in an interview Thursday with the News Tribune Opinion page ‘Help Minnesota families’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585372","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Kurt Daudt","width":"84"}}]]“The $1.9 billion budget surplus means Democrats can stop talking about a gas tax in St. Paul. … “The new House Republican majority is going to put some of those surplus dollars back in Minnesotans’ pockets. That’s what is going to help Minnesota families and help Minnesota’s economy.”- House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in an interview with ABC Newspapers ‘Restraint, responsibility and balance’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585373","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"84","title":"","width":"120"}}]]“Politics aside, if there is to be a surplus for 2015 and beyond - if somehow inflation doesn’t gobble up every bit of it - Minnesota taxpayers can insist on a responsible, balanced strategy for the money as they did in March when another $1 billion surplus was being forecast, the first in the state since at least 1999. The governor and state lawmakers responded then with a mix of tax cuts, investments and even a healthy deposit in the state’s long-neglected reserve funds. “They can respond with the same restraint, responsibility and balance (now).”- From a Duluth News Tribune editorial of Dec. 14 ‘Education and transportation … remain my focus’
“There are certainly things most of us want and need. “However, we have no assurance that this national economic recovery will last indefinitely. History assures us that it won’t. ... “So I propose that we invest our collective good fortune in our collective better future. In education and transportation. For ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And for the generations that will follow. Since we may not have the same opportunities in the years ahead, it’s even more important that we do it now. “My January budget proposal focused on those two principal areas: education and transportation. They will remain my focus in my Supplemental Budget proposal. …- Gov. Mark Dayton in a prepared statement Feb. 27 ‘Wise investments tied to economic growth’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585376","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Ken Martin","width":"83"}}]]“DFL leaders have made it a priority to improve the economy, create jobs, and invest in education. We’ve seen great progress, evident in today’s budget surplus. But we know more work needs to be done. “By using the budget surplus for wise investments tied to economic growth like early-childhood education and fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges, we will build a better Minnesota where everyone is taking part in our economic success.”- DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a prepared statement Feb. 27 ‘Stash some of this surplus’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585377","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Tom Bakk","width":"83"}}]]“I think we would be wise to stash some of this surplus away in the event we’re not successful in court, and I understand that’s going to happen likely sometime later this year.”- Sen. Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, speaking with reporters in St. Paul earlier this month, referring to a pending tax lawsuit against the stateMinnesota’s budget surplus has ballooned to $1.869 billion, an increase of $832 million since last November’s forecast. The increase was “caused principally by Minnesota’s continued economic growth that exceeded economists’ predictions just three months ago,” Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Feb. 27. There are about as many opinions about what to do with the money as there are politicians in St. Paul. With the Republican Party of Minnesota launching a give-it-all-back campaign this week, the time seems ripe for a roundup of opinions - and for an invitation: What do you think should happen to Minnesota’s nearly $2 billion surplus? Spend it? On what? Return it to taxpayers? Which taxpayers? Something else? Send your thoughts to letters@duluthnews.com. ‘Not a bad policy ... to send it all back’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585368","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Keith Downey","width":"84"}}]]“The state shouldn’t just take that extra money and spend it. Arguably, it’s tax revenue and tax increases, and we should be returning that to the people of Minnesota. If you actually just returned it to the people, you’d send back $350 a person or $1,400 for a family of four. … It’s not a bad policy, if we overcharged the people of Minnesota, to send it all back. … The right thing to do is return that and prioritize family budgets over the state budget. … “If you look at state spending, the numbers are so incredible. … The state budget increased almost 12 percent in the last biennium. And if we adopt the governor’s budget proposal, it’s going to grow 12 percent again. … If you look at a $34 billion budget two years ago vs. the $42 (billion) and change in the governor’s proposal, that’s an $8 billion biennial spending increase in just four years. So our argument is, ‘Boy, if you can’t fund your priorities with an $8 billion spending increase, what’s happening?’ And then on top of that, we have a $2 billion surplus and then in the next biennium (an expected) $3 billion surplus. That’s $5 billion more money coming in to state coffers than is needed to spend. And on top of that, the Democrats are proposing a $6 million tax increase. How in the world can we not fund our priorities while at the same time giving the surplus back?”- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey in an interview Thursday with the News Tribune Opinion page ‘Help Minnesota families’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585372","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Kurt Daudt","width":"84"}}]]“The $1.9 billion budget surplus means Democrats can stop talking about a gas tax in St. Paul. … “The new House Republican majority is going to put some of those surplus dollars back in Minnesotans’ pockets. That’s what is going to help Minnesota families and help Minnesota’s economy.”- House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in an interview with ABC Newspapers ‘Restraint, responsibility and balance’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585373","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"84","title":"","width":"120"}}]]“Politics aside, if there is to be a surplus for 2015 and beyond - if somehow inflation doesn’t gobble up every bit of it - Minnesota taxpayers can insist on a responsible, balanced strategy for the money as they did in March when another $1 billion surplus was being forecast, the first in the state since at least 1999. The governor and state lawmakers responded then with a mix of tax cuts, investments and even a healthy deposit in the state’s long-neglected reserve funds. “They can respond with the same restraint, responsibility and balance (now).”- From a Duluth News Tribune editorial of Dec. 14 ‘Education and transportation … remain my focus’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585375","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Mark Dayton","width":"85"}}]]“There are certainly things most of us want and need. “However, we have no assurance that this national economic recovery will last indefinitely. History assures us that it won’t. ... “So I propose that we invest our collective good fortune in our collective better future. In education and transportation. For ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And for the generations that will follow. Since we may not have the same opportunities in the years ahead, it’s even more important that we do it now. “My January budget proposal focused on those two principal areas: education and transportation. They will remain my focus in my Supplemental Budget proposal. …- Gov. Mark Dayton in a prepared statement Feb. 27 ‘Wise investments tied to economic growth’
“DFL leaders have made it a priority to improve the economy, create jobs, and invest in education. We’ve seen great progress, evident in today’s budget surplus. But we know more work needs to be done. “By using the budget surplus for wise investments tied to economic growth like early-childhood education and fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges, we will build a better Minnesota where everyone is taking part in our economic success.”- DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a prepared statement Feb. 27 ‘Stash some of this surplus’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585377","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Tom Bakk","width":"83"}}]]“I think we would be wise to stash some of this surplus away in the event we’re not successful in court, and I understand that’s going to happen likely sometime later this year.”- Sen. Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, speaking with reporters in St. Paul earlier this month, referring to a pending tax lawsuit against the stateMinnesota’s budget surplus has ballooned to $1.869 billion, an increase of $832 million since last November’s forecast. The increase was “caused principally by Minnesota’s continued economic growth that exceeded economists’ predictions just three months ago,” Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Feb. 27. There are about as many opinions about what to do with the money as there are politicians in St. Paul. With the Republican Party of Minnesota launching a give-it-all-back campaign this week, the time seems ripe for a roundup of opinions - and for an invitation: What do you think should happen to Minnesota’s nearly $2 billion surplus? Spend it? On what? Return it to taxpayers? Which taxpayers? Something else? Send your thoughts to letters@duluthnews.com. ‘Not a bad policy ... to send it all back’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585368","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Keith Downey","width":"84"}}]]“The state shouldn’t just take that extra money and spend it. Arguably, it’s tax revenue and tax increases, and we should be returning that to the people of Minnesota. If you actually just returned it to the people, you’d send back $350 a person or $1,400 for a family of four. … It’s not a bad policy, if we overcharged the people of Minnesota, to send it all back. … The right thing to do is return that and prioritize family budgets over the state budget. … “If you look at state spending, the numbers are so incredible. … The state budget increased almost 12 percent in the last biennium. And if we adopt the governor’s budget proposal, it’s going to grow 12 percent again. … If you look at a $34 billion budget two years ago vs. the $42 (billion) and change in the governor’s proposal, that’s an $8 billion biennial spending increase in just four years. So our argument is, ‘Boy, if you can’t fund your priorities with an $8 billion spending increase, what’s happening?’ And then on top of that, we have a $2 billion surplus and then in the next biennium (an expected) $3 billion surplus. That’s $5 billion more money coming in to state coffers than is needed to spend. And on top of that, the Democrats are proposing a $6 million tax increase. How in the world can we not fund our priorities while at the same time giving the surplus back?”- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey in an interview Thursday with the News Tribune Opinion page ‘Help Minnesota families’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585372","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Kurt Daudt","width":"84"}}]]“The $1.9 billion budget surplus means Democrats can stop talking about a gas tax in St. Paul. … “The new House Republican majority is going to put some of those surplus dollars back in Minnesotans’ pockets. That’s what is going to help Minnesota families and help Minnesota’s economy.”- House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in an interview with ABC Newspapers ‘Restraint, responsibility and balance’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585373","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"84","title":"","width":"120"}}]]“Politics aside, if there is to be a surplus for 2015 and beyond - if somehow inflation doesn’t gobble up every bit of it - Minnesota taxpayers can insist on a responsible, balanced strategy for the money as they did in March when another $1 billion surplus was being forecast, the first in the state since at least 1999. The governor and state lawmakers responded then with a mix of tax cuts, investments and even a healthy deposit in the state’s long-neglected reserve funds. “They can respond with the same restraint, responsibility and balance (now).”- From a Duluth News Tribune editorial of Dec. 14 ‘Education and transportation … remain my focus’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585375","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Mark Dayton","width":"85"}}]]“There are certainly things most of us want and need. “However, we have no assurance that this national economic recovery will last indefinitely. History assures us that it won’t. ... “So I propose that we invest our collective good fortune in our collective better future. In education and transportation. For ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And for the generations that will follow. Since we may not have the same opportunities in the years ahead, it’s even more important that we do it now. “My January budget proposal focused on those two principal areas: education and transportation. They will remain my focus in my Supplemental Budget proposal. …- Gov. Mark Dayton in a prepared statement Feb. 27 ‘Wise investments tied to economic growth’ [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585376","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Ken Martin","width":"83"}}]]“DFL leaders have made it a priority to improve the economy, create jobs, and invest in education. We’ve seen great progress, evident in today’s budget surplus. But we know more work needs to be done. “By using the budget surplus for wise investments tied to economic growth like early-childhood education and fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges, we will build a better Minnesota where everyone is taking part in our economic success.”- DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a prepared statement Feb. 27 ‘Stash some of this surplus’
“I think we would be wise to stash some of this surplus away in the event we’re not successful in court, and I understand that’s going to happen likely sometime later this year.”- Sen. Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, speaking with reporters in St. Paul earlier this month, referring to a pending tax lawsuit against the stateMinnesota’s budget surplus has ballooned to $1.869 billion, an increase of $832 million since last November’s forecast. The increase was “caused principally by Minnesota’s continued economic growth that exceeded economists’ predictions just three months ago,” Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Feb. 27.There are about as many opinions about what to do with the money as there are politicians in St. Paul. With the Republican Party of Minnesota launching a give-it-all-back campaign this week, the time seems ripe for a roundup of opinions - and for an invitation: What do you think should happen to Minnesota’s nearly $2 billion surplus? Spend it? On what? Return it to taxpayers? Which taxpayers? Something else?Send your thoughts to letters@duluthnews.com.‘Not a bad policy ... to send it all back’
“The state shouldn’t just take that extra money and spend it. Arguably, it’s tax revenue and tax increases, and we should be returning that to the people of Minnesota. If you actually just returned it to the people, you’d send back $350 a person or $1,400 for a family of four. … It’s not a bad policy, if we overcharged the people of Minnesota, to send it all back. … The right thing to do is return that and prioritize family budgets over the state budget. …“If you look at state spending, the numbers are so incredible. … The state budget increased almost 12 percent in the last biennium. And if we adopt the governor’s budget proposal, it’s going to grow 12 percent again. … If you look at a $34 billion budget two years ago vs. the $42 (billion) and change in the governor’s proposal, that’s an $8 billion biennial spending increase in just four years. So our argument is, ‘Boy, if you can’t fund your priorities with an $8 billion spending increase, what’s happening?’ And then on top of that, we have a $2 billion surplus and then in the next biennium (an expected) $3 billion surplus. That’s $5 billion more money coming in to state coffers than is needed to spend. And on top of that, the Democrats are proposing a $6 million tax increase. How in the world can we not fund our priorities while at the same time giving the surplus back?”- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey in an interview Thursday with the News Tribune Opinion page‘Help Minnesota families’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585372","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Kurt Daudt","width":"84"}}]]“The $1.9 billion budget surplus means Democrats can stop talking about a gas tax in St. Paul. …“The new House Republican majority is going to put some of those surplus dollars back in Minnesotans’ pockets. That’s what is going to help Minnesota families and help Minnesota’s economy.”- House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in an interview with ABC Newspapers‘Restraint, responsibility and balance’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585373","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"84","title":"","width":"120"}}]]“Politics aside, if there is to be a surplus for 2015 and beyond - if somehow inflation doesn’t gobble up every bit of it - Minnesota taxpayers can insist on a responsible, balanced strategy for the money as they did in March when another $1 billion surplus was being forecast, the first in the state since at least 1999. The governor and state lawmakers responded then with a mix of tax cuts, investments and even a healthy deposit in the state’s long-neglected reserve funds.“They can respond with the same restraint, responsibility and balance (now).”- From a Duluth News Tribune editorial of Dec. 14‘Education and transportation … remain my focus’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585375","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Mark Dayton","width":"85"}}]]“There are certainly things most of us want and need.“However, we have no assurance that this national economic recovery will last indefinitely. History assures us that it won’t. ...“So I propose that we invest our collective good fortune in our collective better future. In education and transportation. For ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And for the generations that will follow. Since we may not have the same opportunities in the years ahead, it’s even more important that we do it now.“My January budget proposal focused on those two principal areas: education and transportation. They will remain my focus in my Supplemental Budget proposal. …- Gov. Mark Dayton in a prepared statement Feb. 27‘Wise investments tied to economic growth’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585376","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Ken Martin","width":"83"}}]]“DFL leaders have made it a priority to improve the economy, create jobs, and invest in education. We’ve seen great progress, evident in today’s budget surplus. But we know more work needs to be done.“By using the budget surplus for wise investments tied to economic growth like early-childhood education and fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges, we will build a better Minnesota where everyone is taking part in our economic success.”- DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a prepared statement Feb. 27‘Stash some of this surplus’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585377","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Tom Bakk","width":"83"}}]]“I think we would be wise to stash some of this surplus away in the event we’re not successful in court, and I understand that’s going to happen likely sometime later this year.”- Sen. Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, speaking with reporters in St. Paul earlier this month, referring to a pending tax lawsuit against the stateMinnesota’s budget surplus has ballooned to $1.869 billion, an increase of $832 million since last November’s forecast. The increase was “caused principally by Minnesota’s continued economic growth that exceeded economists’ predictions just three months ago,” Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Feb. 27.There are about as many opinions about what to do with the money as there are politicians in St. Paul. With the Republican Party of Minnesota launching a give-it-all-back campaign this week, the time seems ripe for a roundup of opinions - and for an invitation: What do you think should happen to Minnesota’s nearly $2 billion surplus? Spend it? On what? Return it to taxpayers? Which taxpayers? Something else?Send your thoughts to letters@duluthnews.com.‘Not a bad policy ... to send it all back’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585368","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Keith Downey","width":"84"}}]]“The state shouldn’t just take that extra money and spend it. Arguably, it’s tax revenue and tax increases, and we should be returning that to the people of Minnesota. If you actually just returned it to the people, you’d send back $350 a person or $1,400 for a family of four. … It’s not a bad policy, if we overcharged the people of Minnesota, to send it all back. … The right thing to do is return that and prioritize family budgets over the state budget. …“If you look at state spending, the numbers are so incredible. … The state budget increased almost 12 percent in the last biennium. And if we adopt the governor’s budget proposal, it’s going to grow 12 percent again. … If you look at a $34 billion budget two years ago vs. the $42 (billion) and change in the governor’s proposal, that’s an $8 billion biennial spending increase in just four years. So our argument is, ‘Boy, if you can’t fund your priorities with an $8 billion spending increase, what’s happening?’ And then on top of that, we have a $2 billion surplus and then in the next biennium (an expected) $3 billion surplus. That’s $5 billion more money coming in to state coffers than is needed to spend. And on top of that, the Democrats are proposing a $6 million tax increase. How in the world can we not fund our priorities while at the same time giving the surplus back?”- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey in an interview Thursday with the News Tribune Opinion page‘Help Minnesota families’
“The $1.9 billion budget surplus means Democrats can stop talking about a gas tax in St. Paul. …“The new House Republican majority is going to put some of those surplus dollars back in Minnesotans’ pockets. That’s what is going to help Minnesota families and help Minnesota’s economy.”- House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in an interview with ABC Newspapers‘Restraint, responsibility and balance’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585373","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"84","title":"","width":"120"}}]]“Politics aside, if there is to be a surplus for 2015 and beyond - if somehow inflation doesn’t gobble up every bit of it - Minnesota taxpayers can insist on a responsible, balanced strategy for the money as they did in March when another $1 billion surplus was being forecast, the first in the state since at least 1999. The governor and state lawmakers responded then with a mix of tax cuts, investments and even a healthy deposit in the state’s long-neglected reserve funds.“They can respond with the same restraint, responsibility and balance (now).”- From a Duluth News Tribune editorial of Dec. 14‘Education and transportation … remain my focus’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585375","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Mark Dayton","width":"85"}}]]“There are certainly things most of us want and need.“However, we have no assurance that this national economic recovery will last indefinitely. History assures us that it won’t. ...“So I propose that we invest our collective good fortune in our collective better future. In education and transportation. For ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And for the generations that will follow. Since we may not have the same opportunities in the years ahead, it’s even more important that we do it now.“My January budget proposal focused on those two principal areas: education and transportation. They will remain my focus in my Supplemental Budget proposal. …- Gov. Mark Dayton in a prepared statement Feb. 27‘Wise investments tied to economic growth’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585376","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Ken Martin","width":"83"}}]]“DFL leaders have made it a priority to improve the economy, create jobs, and invest in education. We’ve seen great progress, evident in today’s budget surplus. But we know more work needs to be done.“By using the budget surplus for wise investments tied to economic growth like early-childhood education and fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges, we will build a better Minnesota where everyone is taking part in our economic success.”- DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a prepared statement Feb. 27‘Stash some of this surplus’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585377","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Tom Bakk","width":"83"}}]]“I think we would be wise to stash some of this surplus away in the event we’re not successful in court, and I understand that’s going to happen likely sometime later this year.”- Sen. Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, speaking with reporters in St. Paul earlier this month, referring to a pending tax lawsuit against the stateMinnesota’s budget surplus has ballooned to $1.869 billion, an increase of $832 million since last November’s forecast. The increase was “caused principally by Minnesota’s continued economic growth that exceeded economists’ predictions just three months ago,” Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Feb. 27.There are about as many opinions about what to do with the money as there are politicians in St. Paul. With the Republican Party of Minnesota launching a give-it-all-back campaign this week, the time seems ripe for a roundup of opinions - and for an invitation: What do you think should happen to Minnesota’s nearly $2 billion surplus? Spend it? On what? Return it to taxpayers? Which taxpayers? Something else?Send your thoughts to letters@duluthnews.com.‘Not a bad policy ... to send it all back’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585368","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Keith Downey","width":"84"}}]]“The state shouldn’t just take that extra money and spend it. Arguably, it’s tax revenue and tax increases, and we should be returning that to the people of Minnesota. If you actually just returned it to the people, you’d send back $350 a person or $1,400 for a family of four. … It’s not a bad policy, if we overcharged the people of Minnesota, to send it all back. … The right thing to do is return that and prioritize family budgets over the state budget. …“If you look at state spending, the numbers are so incredible. … The state budget increased almost 12 percent in the last biennium. And if we adopt the governor’s budget proposal, it’s going to grow 12 percent again. … If you look at a $34 billion budget two years ago vs. the $42 (billion) and change in the governor’s proposal, that’s an $8 billion biennial spending increase in just four years. So our argument is, ‘Boy, if you can’t fund your priorities with an $8 billion spending increase, what’s happening?’ And then on top of that, we have a $2 billion surplus and then in the next biennium (an expected) $3 billion surplus. That’s $5 billion more money coming in to state coffers than is needed to spend. And on top of that, the Democrats are proposing a $6 million tax increase. How in the world can we not fund our priorities while at the same time giving the surplus back?”- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey in an interview Thursday with the News Tribune Opinion page‘Help Minnesota families’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585372","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Kurt Daudt","width":"84"}}]]“The $1.9 billion budget surplus means Democrats can stop talking about a gas tax in St. Paul. …“The new House Republican majority is going to put some of those surplus dollars back in Minnesotans’ pockets. That’s what is going to help Minnesota families and help Minnesota’s economy.”- House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in an interview with ABC Newspapers‘Restraint, responsibility and balance’
“Politics aside, if there is to be a surplus for 2015 and beyond - if somehow inflation doesn’t gobble up every bit of it - Minnesota taxpayers can insist on a responsible, balanced strategy for the money as they did in March when another $1 billion surplus was being forecast, the first in the state since at least 1999. The governor and state lawmakers responded then with a mix of tax cuts, investments and even a healthy deposit in the state’s long-neglected reserve funds.“They can respond with the same restraint, responsibility and balance (now).”- From a Duluth News Tribune editorial of Dec. 14‘Education and transportation … remain my focus’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585375","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Mark Dayton","width":"85"}}]]“There are certainly things most of us want and need.“However, we have no assurance that this national economic recovery will last indefinitely. History assures us that it won’t. ...“So I propose that we invest our collective good fortune in our collective better future. In education and transportation. For ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And for the generations that will follow. Since we may not have the same opportunities in the years ahead, it’s even more important that we do it now.“My January budget proposal focused on those two principal areas: education and transportation. They will remain my focus in my Supplemental Budget proposal. …- Gov. Mark Dayton in a prepared statement Feb. 27‘Wise investments tied to economic growth’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585376","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Ken Martin","width":"83"}}]]“DFL leaders have made it a priority to improve the economy, create jobs, and invest in education. We’ve seen great progress, evident in today’s budget surplus. But we know more work needs to be done.“By using the budget surplus for wise investments tied to economic growth like early-childhood education and fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges, we will build a better Minnesota where everyone is taking part in our economic success.”- DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a prepared statement Feb. 27‘Stash some of this surplus’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585377","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Tom Bakk","width":"83"}}]]“I think we would be wise to stash some of this surplus away in the event we’re not successful in court, and I understand that’s going to happen likely sometime later this year.”- Sen. Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, speaking with reporters in St. Paul earlier this month, referring to a pending tax lawsuit against the stateMinnesota’s budget surplus has ballooned to $1.869 billion, an increase of $832 million since last November’s forecast. The increase was “caused principally by Minnesota’s continued economic growth that exceeded economists’ predictions just three months ago,” Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Feb. 27.There are about as many opinions about what to do with the money as there are politicians in St. Paul. With the Republican Party of Minnesota launching a give-it-all-back campaign this week, the time seems ripe for a roundup of opinions - and for an invitation: What do you think should happen to Minnesota’s nearly $2 billion surplus? Spend it? On what? Return it to taxpayers? Which taxpayers? Something else?Send your thoughts to letters@duluthnews.com.‘Not a bad policy ... to send it all back’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585368","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Keith Downey","width":"84"}}]]“The state shouldn’t just take that extra money and spend it. Arguably, it’s tax revenue and tax increases, and we should be returning that to the people of Minnesota. If you actually just returned it to the people, you’d send back $350 a person or $1,400 for a family of four. … It’s not a bad policy, if we overcharged the people of Minnesota, to send it all back. … The right thing to do is return that and prioritize family budgets over the state budget. …“If you look at state spending, the numbers are so incredible. … The state budget increased almost 12 percent in the last biennium. And if we adopt the governor’s budget proposal, it’s going to grow 12 percent again. … If you look at a $34 billion budget two years ago vs. the $42 (billion) and change in the governor’s proposal, that’s an $8 billion biennial spending increase in just four years. So our argument is, ‘Boy, if you can’t fund your priorities with an $8 billion spending increase, what’s happening?’ And then on top of that, we have a $2 billion surplus and then in the next biennium (an expected) $3 billion surplus. That’s $5 billion more money coming in to state coffers than is needed to spend. And on top of that, the Democrats are proposing a $6 million tax increase. How in the world can we not fund our priorities while at the same time giving the surplus back?”- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey in an interview Thursday with the News Tribune Opinion page‘Help Minnesota families’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585372","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Kurt Daudt","width":"84"}}]]“The $1.9 billion budget surplus means Democrats can stop talking about a gas tax in St. Paul. …“The new House Republican majority is going to put some of those surplus dollars back in Minnesotans’ pockets. That’s what is going to help Minnesota families and help Minnesota’s economy.”- House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in an interview with ABC Newspapers‘Restraint, responsibility and balance’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585373","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"84","title":"","width":"120"}}]]“Politics aside, if there is to be a surplus for 2015 and beyond - if somehow inflation doesn’t gobble up every bit of it - Minnesota taxpayers can insist on a responsible, balanced strategy for the money as they did in March when another $1 billion surplus was being forecast, the first in the state since at least 1999. The governor and state lawmakers responded then with a mix of tax cuts, investments and even a healthy deposit in the state’s long-neglected reserve funds.“They can respond with the same restraint, responsibility and balance (now).”- From a Duluth News Tribune editorial of Dec. 14‘Education and transportation … remain my focus’
“There are certainly things most of us want and need.“However, we have no assurance that this national economic recovery will last indefinitely. History assures us that it won’t. ...“So I propose that we invest our collective good fortune in our collective better future. In education and transportation. For ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And for the generations that will follow. Since we may not have the same opportunities in the years ahead, it’s even more important that we do it now.“My January budget proposal focused on those two principal areas: education and transportation. They will remain my focus in my Supplemental Budget proposal. …- Gov. Mark Dayton in a prepared statement Feb. 27‘Wise investments tied to economic growth’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585376","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Ken Martin","width":"83"}}]]“DFL leaders have made it a priority to improve the economy, create jobs, and invest in education. We’ve seen great progress, evident in today’s budget surplus. But we know more work needs to be done.“By using the budget surplus for wise investments tied to economic growth like early-childhood education and fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges, we will build a better Minnesota where everyone is taking part in our economic success.”- DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a prepared statement Feb. 27‘Stash some of this surplus’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585377","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Tom Bakk","width":"83"}}]]“I think we would be wise to stash some of this surplus away in the event we’re not successful in court, and I understand that’s going to happen likely sometime later this year.”- Sen. Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, speaking with reporters in St. Paul earlier this month, referring to a pending tax lawsuit against the stateMinnesota’s budget surplus has ballooned to $1.869 billion, an increase of $832 million since last November’s forecast. The increase was “caused principally by Minnesota’s continued economic growth that exceeded economists’ predictions just three months ago,” Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Feb. 27.There are about as many opinions about what to do with the money as there are politicians in St. Paul. With the Republican Party of Minnesota launching a give-it-all-back campaign this week, the time seems ripe for a roundup of opinions - and for an invitation: What do you think should happen to Minnesota’s nearly $2 billion surplus? Spend it? On what? Return it to taxpayers? Which taxpayers? Something else?Send your thoughts to letters@duluthnews.com.‘Not a bad policy ... to send it all back’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585368","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Keith Downey","width":"84"}}]]“The state shouldn’t just take that extra money and spend it. Arguably, it’s tax revenue and tax increases, and we should be returning that to the people of Minnesota. If you actually just returned it to the people, you’d send back $350 a person or $1,400 for a family of four. … It’s not a bad policy, if we overcharged the people of Minnesota, to send it all back. … The right thing to do is return that and prioritize family budgets over the state budget. …“If you look at state spending, the numbers are so incredible. … The state budget increased almost 12 percent in the last biennium. And if we adopt the governor’s budget proposal, it’s going to grow 12 percent again. … If you look at a $34 billion budget two years ago vs. the $42 (billion) and change in the governor’s proposal, that’s an $8 billion biennial spending increase in just four years. So our argument is, ‘Boy, if you can’t fund your priorities with an $8 billion spending increase, what’s happening?’ And then on top of that, we have a $2 billion surplus and then in the next biennium (an expected) $3 billion surplus. That’s $5 billion more money coming in to state coffers than is needed to spend. And on top of that, the Democrats are proposing a $6 million tax increase. How in the world can we not fund our priorities while at the same time giving the surplus back?”- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey in an interview Thursday with the News Tribune Opinion page‘Help Minnesota families’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585372","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Kurt Daudt","width":"84"}}]]“The $1.9 billion budget surplus means Democrats can stop talking about a gas tax in St. Paul. …“The new House Republican majority is going to put some of those surplus dollars back in Minnesotans’ pockets. That’s what is going to help Minnesota families and help Minnesota’s economy.”- House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in an interview with ABC Newspapers‘Restraint, responsibility and balance’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585373","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"84","title":"","width":"120"}}]]“Politics aside, if there is to be a surplus for 2015 and beyond - if somehow inflation doesn’t gobble up every bit of it - Minnesota taxpayers can insist on a responsible, balanced strategy for the money as they did in March when another $1 billion surplus was being forecast, the first in the state since at least 1999. The governor and state lawmakers responded then with a mix of tax cuts, investments and even a healthy deposit in the state’s long-neglected reserve funds.“They can respond with the same restraint, responsibility and balance (now).”- From a Duluth News Tribune editorial of Dec. 14‘Education and transportation … remain my focus’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585375","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Mark Dayton","width":"85"}}]]“There are certainly things most of us want and need.“However, we have no assurance that this national economic recovery will last indefinitely. History assures us that it won’t. ...“So I propose that we invest our collective good fortune in our collective better future. In education and transportation. For ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And for the generations that will follow. Since we may not have the same opportunities in the years ahead, it’s even more important that we do it now.“My January budget proposal focused on those two principal areas: education and transportation. They will remain my focus in my Supplemental Budget proposal. …- Gov. Mark Dayton in a prepared statement Feb. 27‘Wise investments tied to economic growth’
“DFL leaders have made it a priority to improve the economy, create jobs, and invest in education. We’ve seen great progress, evident in today’s budget surplus. But we know more work needs to be done.“By using the budget surplus for wise investments tied to economic growth like early-childhood education and fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges, we will build a better Minnesota where everyone is taking part in our economic success.”- DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a prepared statement Feb. 27‘Stash some of this surplus’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585377","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Tom Bakk","width":"83"}}]]“I think we would be wise to stash some of this surplus away in the event we’re not successful in court, and I understand that’s going to happen likely sometime later this year.”- Sen. Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, speaking with reporters in St. Paul earlier this month, referring to a pending tax lawsuit against the stateMinnesota’s budget surplus has ballooned to $1.869 billion, an increase of $832 million since last November’s forecast. The increase was “caused principally by Minnesota’s continued economic growth that exceeded economists’ predictions just three months ago,” Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Feb. 27.There are about as many opinions about what to do with the money as there are politicians in St. Paul. With the Republican Party of Minnesota launching a give-it-all-back campaign this week, the time seems ripe for a roundup of opinions - and for an invitation: What do you think should happen to Minnesota’s nearly $2 billion surplus? Spend it? On what? Return it to taxpayers? Which taxpayers? Something else?Send your thoughts to letters@duluthnews.com.‘Not a bad policy ... to send it all back’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585368","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Keith Downey","width":"84"}}]]“The state shouldn’t just take that extra money and spend it. Arguably, it’s tax revenue and tax increases, and we should be returning that to the people of Minnesota. If you actually just returned it to the people, you’d send back $350 a person or $1,400 for a family of four. … It’s not a bad policy, if we overcharged the people of Minnesota, to send it all back. … The right thing to do is return that and prioritize family budgets over the state budget. …“If you look at state spending, the numbers are so incredible. … The state budget increased almost 12 percent in the last biennium. And if we adopt the governor’s budget proposal, it’s going to grow 12 percent again. … If you look at a $34 billion budget two years ago vs. the $42 (billion) and change in the governor’s proposal, that’s an $8 billion biennial spending increase in just four years. So our argument is, ‘Boy, if you can’t fund your priorities with an $8 billion spending increase, what’s happening?’ And then on top of that, we have a $2 billion surplus and then in the next biennium (an expected) $3 billion surplus. That’s $5 billion more money coming in to state coffers than is needed to spend. And on top of that, the Democrats are proposing a $6 million tax increase. How in the world can we not fund our priorities while at the same time giving the surplus back?”- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey in an interview Thursday with the News Tribune Opinion page‘Help Minnesota families’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585372","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Kurt Daudt","width":"84"}}]]“The $1.9 billion budget surplus means Democrats can stop talking about a gas tax in St. Paul. …“The new House Republican majority is going to put some of those surplus dollars back in Minnesotans’ pockets. That’s what is going to help Minnesota families and help Minnesota’s economy.”- House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in an interview with ABC Newspapers‘Restraint, responsibility and balance’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585373","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"84","title":"","width":"120"}}]]“Politics aside, if there is to be a surplus for 2015 and beyond - if somehow inflation doesn’t gobble up every bit of it - Minnesota taxpayers can insist on a responsible, balanced strategy for the money as they did in March when another $1 billion surplus was being forecast, the first in the state since at least 1999. The governor and state lawmakers responded then with a mix of tax cuts, investments and even a healthy deposit in the state’s long-neglected reserve funds.“They can respond with the same restraint, responsibility and balance (now).”- From a Duluth News Tribune editorial of Dec. 14‘Education and transportation … remain my focus’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585375","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Mark Dayton","width":"85"}}]]“There are certainly things most of us want and need.“However, we have no assurance that this national economic recovery will last indefinitely. History assures us that it won’t. ...“So I propose that we invest our collective good fortune in our collective better future. In education and transportation. For ourselves, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And for the generations that will follow. Since we may not have the same opportunities in the years ahead, it’s even more important that we do it now.“My January budget proposal focused on those two principal areas: education and transportation. They will remain my focus in my Supplemental Budget proposal. …- Gov. Mark Dayton in a prepared statement Feb. 27‘Wise investments tied to economic growth’[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1585376","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"120","title":"Ken Martin","width":"83"}}]]“DFL leaders have made it a priority to improve the economy, create jobs, and invest in education. We’ve seen great progress, evident in today’s budget surplus. But we know more work needs to be done.“By using the budget surplus for wise investments tied to economic growth like early-childhood education and fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges, we will build a better Minnesota where everyone is taking part in our economic success.”- DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a prepared statement Feb. 27‘Stash some of this surplus’
“I think we would be wise to stash some of this surplus away in the event we’re not successful in court, and I understand that’s going to happen likely sometime later this year.”- Sen. Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, speaking with reporters in St. Paul earlier this month, referring to a pending tax lawsuit against the state