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You Voted for Them - Find Out if They're Voting for You
Voting is the core responsibility of state legislators. It's a job that is simple, but far from easy. BillsandVotes.com exists to document the hundreds of roll call votes taken each year in the Minnesota Legislature.
It all comes down to the green button or the red button...
Fair and Clean Elections
When election laws invite fraud and when election officials turn a blind eye to fraud, voters are disenfranchised. Minnesota is currently in crisis mode when it comes to our election process. Under Secretary Ritchie, ballot handling, election day procedures, absentee voting - the core elements of the voting process are suspect. These votes show that Democrats are just fine with the status quo.
Purple fingers might not be a bad start... THE VOTES...
Legislative Reform
Many benefits accrue to those with election certificates in the Minnesota Statehouse - secretary, large office, covered parking, health insurance, roughly $41,000 salary, Internet service, laptop, media writers, research services, photography services, mileage and housing and a pension. All in all it's a pretty good gig.
Is a little reform too much to ask? THE VOTES...
Quote of the Week Talking about this is politically unpopular and potentially even career suicide for most officeholders. But at some point, someone is going to have to get honest about the fact that 80 percent of the state, county and city budget deficits are due to employee costs. Either we do something about it at the ballot box, or a judge will do something about in Bankruptcy Court. --California’s former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown writing about California's public pension crisis.
The DFL Senority Matrons
These are the folks whose votes mean more than all other legislators combined: the all-powerful, virtually unbeatable seniority matrons known as the DFL Committee Chairs.
The sad truth is that most of these leadership Democrats reside in legislative districts that are immune from GOP challenges. Only highly financed DFL primary challengers with powerful connections can come close to unseating one of The Chairs.
Wanna make a difference? Cut off the body and the head will die. To take away their gavels, defeat the vulnerable rank and file Democrats who serve at the feet of The Chairs. THE VOTES...
Taxpayers League 2010 Scorecard
Check out the 2010 Taxpayers League Legislative Scorecard.
Taxpayers League president Phil Krinkie says, "This year's scorecard demonstrates that the vast majority of state legislators are not prudent with taxpayers' dollars... Taxpayers can easily discern from the scorecard who's voting to increase taxes and who is holding the line on state spending. It's a great tool to hold legislators accountable with a quick glance at their score."
Accountability. It's a good thing.
Taxpayers Versus Government Workers
Too bad it's come to this, but state policy makers can no longer ignore the out-of-control cost of maintaining the government workforce.
Government workers have it all: higher pay than the private sector, lower performance expectations, immunity from economic downturns, loads of vacation and sick leave, union representation and a retirement package that the private sector can only dream of.
THE VOTES...
Kitchen Table Economics
Balancing the state budget is a little like trying to get to Heaven - legislators know what they need to do, but they just can't make themselves do it.
Looming on the horizon are billions in state debt caused by government worker pension liabilities and welfare programs on automatic pilot.
THE VOTES...
Private Property Rights vs The State
In America, real estate is meant to be owned by private citizens. But government has an endless stream of funding - called "taxes" - that it uses to take private property.
The DNR, for one, controls 5.6 million of Minnesota's 55 million acres. Property rights is one of the three 2010 top issues at BillsandVotes.com.
THE VOTES...
Random Vote Generator
The scientists at BillsandVotes.com have developed a machine that randomly selects a vote from the servers warehoused at our secret secure facility. Only scored votes have been included in the algorithm.
Think outside the issue area.
THE RANDOM VOTES...
Fiscal Restraint? What's That? 2010 Bonding Bill Votes
Once again the DFL left it up to the Governor to be the adult in the room. Unwilling to stand up to their bosses in Big Environment and Big Government Labor, the House and Senate dropped the 2010 Bonding Bill at the feet of the Governor and went and laid down by their dish.
A 10-page list of line item vetoes would take some of the worst items off of the state credit card. But there is no reform, no accountability, no job tracking, no support for critical public safety items, no willingness to set real priorities. THE VOTES...
The Omnibus Woodland Critters Finance Bill
House debate on HF 2624 - we call it the Omnibus Woodland Critters Finance Bill - showed how blind allegiance to interest groups can put legislators at odds with their core political values.
Private property rights are more important than the RIM program. Clean water is more important than environmental learning centers. These votes are all about priorities.
THE VOTES...
By billsandvotes.com on
Friday, August 27, 2010 11:06 AM
As promised in Part 2, here’s a closer look at the cost of the Minnesota pension bailout. This time we’ll focus on increased taxpayer costs related to the Public Employees Retirement Association’s General Plan, which covers 375,000 local government employees who are not in public safety jobs and who are not teachers.
Too much, too late
Since 2005, the Legislature has shoveled a lot of fresh taxpayer contributions into the PERA-General Plan pension hopper. Increases authorized in 2005 were phased in over four years. The base rate of 5.1 percent was raised in steps to a total of 6 percent of salary in 2008. Another contribution hike was passed as part of the 2010 “reform” bill to bring the total normal taxpayer contribution to 6.25 percent of payroll. And something called the Additional Employer Contribution was added to go from 0.43 percent of salary to 1.0 percent of salary when...
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By billsandvotes.com on
Friday, July 02, 2010 5:27 AM
Body: Senate | Journal Page:
6991 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: Y
Author: Gerlach
Acting on: HF2700 Date: 02/16/2010
Result: Amendment Defeated 29 - 38
The Gerlach amendment would cap at $100,000 the current One Percent for Art program in MS 16B.35, subdivision 1. As long as it doesn't exceed one percent of the cost of a new building, current law puts no limit on the amount that can be spent on the government-approved pseudo art that "adorns" (have you seen some of this stuff?) government buildings. Spend $60M and the art cap is $600,000.
The DFL considers this program to be one of critical importance. When the GOP took control of the House in '99, Sen. Gerlach, then a proud member of the House,...
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By billsandvotes.com on
Thursday, June 10, 2010 1:00 AM
Taxpayers versus Government Workers
Body: House | Journal Page: 7791 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: Y
Author: Downey
Acting on: HF2700 Date: 02/15/2010
Result: Amendment Defeated 45 - 88
(Updated: 05/20/2010 | Copyright © BillsandVotes.com)
When government executives slap together their bonding bill proposals the level of research and documentation is often minimal. Other than the ego gratification that comes with snagging a fat bonding appropriation, there is little at stake. If the project fails after its built, well, at least the construction unions got their money. And there's always a tax hike or fee increase or state appropriation in the next budget cycle to deal with operations and maintenance.
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By billsandvotes.com on
Thursday, March 18, 2010 6:25 PM
Once again the DFL left it up to the Governor to be the adult in the room. Unwilling to stand up to their bosses in Big Environment, Big Government Labor and the increasingly whiny Sportingperson Community, the House and Senate dropped the 2010 Bonding Bill at the feet of the Governor and went and laid down by their dish. A 10-page list of line item vetoes would take some of the worst items off of the state credit card. But there is no reform, no accountability, no job tracking, no support for critical public safety items, no willingness to set real priorities. THE VOTES...
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