A Better Minnesota Blog

Minnesota Republicans are all a Twitter today with their state convention starting up (#mngop12 if you want to follow all of the action, and there's sure to be plenty), and it took all of about one hour for Team Extreme to cross the line. 

Conservative blogger John Gilmore -- yes, this John Gilmore who was arrested and charged for harassing and threatening two Muslim women during Netroots Nation in 2011 -- heard we were coming to the convention today to deliver petition to state legislators that their time is up in the majorities. What does he think of that?

Now, Mr. Gilmore thinks that's a pretty funny joke, but given his past and the seriousness of any threat of violence, we're not laughing. Some other people, like state representative Pat Garofalo, looked at this tweet and thought parts of it were a hoot. The threat of violence? Meh.

Sock puppets? HILARIOUS to Rep. Garofalo. A man arrested and charged for harassing and threatening people in the past making more threats of violence? Apparently not a big deal. 

Below is a posting for those interested in spending a summer learning about progressive politics online, while working with team ABM in our New Media Fellowship Program. Check it out and pass it around!

ABM New Media Fellowship

Role: Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a progressive online and grassroots advocacy organization, is looking for some folks who love the internet to join its New Media Fellowship program for the summer of 2012.

Participants in The New Media Fellowship Program will be given hands on work in all areas of modern digital political advocacy campaigns, but we will tailor this experience so that you get the most out of it. Based on the interests and skills of prospective participants, responsibilities will be split in the categories of web content, ads and marketing strategy, or digital design.

Who You Are:

• You're politically active. We are passionate about progressive causes and show it, and we want you to be as well.
• You're a good writer. Not just stuffy term papers, because we're looking for people able to write with their own unique voice about the issues that matter to them in a persuasive way.
• You love the internet, cat videos and all. We use the internet to spread the word about progressive issues, and we want your help to expand. Whether it's a little blogging on the side or a wicked tumblr, you're comfortable expressing yourself digitally.
• You can make pretty pictures. While it's not a deal breaker, we'd really like to work with students with skills in graphic design. Visual communication is more important than ever for progressive causes, and you can help.

Term: May 28th -August 17^th.  15-20 hours a week. Applications submitted before Wednesday, May 16th will recieve priority. However, we can be flexible around your school schedule if you need it. We will also offer compensation for your time, because people in our fellowship work hard.

What to Submit:

• A CV, and we encourage those of you with portfolios of your work to show them off. Have a website? Show us!
• A writing sample. Something that shows us you can write persuasively and in an engaging way.

To Apply:

Send cover letter, CV and writing sample to:

Joe Davis

Deputy Director

Alliance for a Better Minnesota

joe<at>abetterminnesota<dot>org

Any questions? Tweet me @doeyjavis

And for those of you commenting on the wrong usage of the "condescending Wonka" meme, I apologize. Via a comment on our Facebook page:

So far this legislative session, Gov. Mark Dayton has vetoed 10 bills that were written or inspired by the corporate front group ALEC--the same organization now facing national scrutiny for its shady tactics and misguided model legislation.

Instead of bowing to corporate pressure, Gov. Dayton stood tall and vetoed ALEC legislation that would have had Minnesota follow Florida's lead on its "Shoot First" law, made it harder for consumers to hold corporations accountable if their products contained dangerous chemicals, and crippled our state's budget.

When politicians stand up for us, we need to let them know we're behind them. Sign our thank you card to Gov. Dayton for standing up to ALEC in Minnesota.

If you're curious about the 10 ALEC bills Gov. Dayton has vetoed, check out the list below:

1. SF 1047: This legislation includes a number of ALEC Budget Reform Toolkit Recommendations, including an across-the-board state workforce reduction, zero-based budgeting, a gainsharing program, a Sunset Commission, and undermining collective bargaining.

2. SF 509: This legislation is modeled after ALEC's Voter ID Act. Requiring eligible voters to produce photo identification at the polls is an unncessary hurdle to law-abiding citizens exercising their right to vote. It is a costly bill that has a number of unintended consequences, the most significant of which is that it could prevent many Minnesota seniors, students, the disabled and veterans from voting.

3. HF 264: The Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act, or Cheeseburger Bill, would limit the ability of Minnesotans to hold food and beverage companies accountable when their products cause consumers to suffer from adverse health conditions due to weight gains. It is modeled after ALEC's Commonsense Consumption Act.

4. SF 149: This bill makes it more difficult for citizens to pursue class action lawsuits against corporations because it delays evidence gathering until all appeals about the legitimacy of the class have been exhausted. This process could go on for years, meaning witnesses might forget the details of their testimony. This bill is modeled on recommendations from ALEC's Tort Reform Boot Camp report.

5. SF 373: This bill reduces the statute of limitations for Minnesotans to file claims agains corporations frmo six to four years. This bill means that victims of corporate wrongdoing would potentially need to hastily file their claim to stay within the four year timeframe, even if they aren't sure of the full extent of the harm they suffered. This bill is modeled on recommendations from ALEC's Tort Reform Boot Camp report.

6. SF 429: This bill would discourage Minnesotans from going to court when they have been wronged and attorneys from taking cases to hold corporations accountable. As Common Cause MN points out, the reason behind attorney fees is that the damages awarded are typially small, so the consumer can't afford an attorney and/or attorneys will only take cases in which they are compensated. This bill is modeled on recommendations from ALEC's Tort Reform Boot Camp report.

7. SF 530: This bill limits corporate liability by regulating interest rates owed to consumers who win personal injury/wrongful death lawsuits. This bill would change the interest rate to 4%, which is much lower and would make corporations more likely to continue in court rather than pay awards. This bill is modeled on recommendations from ALEC's Tort Reform Boot Camp report.

8. HF 1467: This bill--Minnesota's proposed "Castle Doctrine", or "Shoot First" bill--would have been even worse than the Florida law that recently received national attention for its role in Trayvon Martin's death. It would mean no duty to retreat in a person's home, and a great many other places such as your porch or garage. It is modeled after multiple ALEC bills, including the Emergency Powers Firearm Owner Protection Act, the Concealed Carry True Reciprocity Act and the Castle Doctrine Act.

9. SF 1236: This bill would have limited the legal liability of a company that buys or merges with another company that in any way dealt with asbestos. The legislation in Minnesota benefits only one corporation--Crown Cork and Seal. It has a vested interest in the legislation because it acquired a small company that installed asbestos. It is modeled after ALEC's Successor Asbestos-Related Liability Fairness Act.

10. HF 1976: This legislation would require the state to run all newly hired employees through the E-Verify program, which checks work eligibility in the United States. E-Verify is a part of Arizona's controversial SB 1070 immigration bill, which became ALEC's No Sanctuary Cities for Illegal Immigrants Act.

Photo credit: Flickr

Perhaps the only thing more removed than Rep. Cravaack's house in New Hampshire might be his vote for the House GOP budget last week. We all had some good laughs had yesterday, but it's time to start unpacking this vote a bit. Americans United for Change and AFSCME are out with a new ad targeting Rep. Chip Cravaack for his vote in favor of the Paul Ryan/House GOP budget. Much like the last go round with Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to end Medicare, Republicans are once again swooping back in to try and privatize the program. 

A lot of us have become familiar with the Medicare cuts portion of the budget, but there are other drastic measures included in this plan as well. Over half (62%) of the cuts in this plan go to programs that serve poor and working class families. The benefits? You guessed it, only the richest Americans. Via The Wonkbook, two graphs that pretty much some it up.

Now, Rep. Cravaack might try and spin this as a plan only to deal with the budget deficit in order to get away from the extremely unpopular Medicare cuts, but as we can see from these graphics it's nothing but the same old Republican attack on working folks to benefit only the richest. 

Cravaack votes to give trillions in tax breaks to the rich and end Medicare

Today, Rep. Chip Cravaack once again turned his back on Minnesota's seniors and middle-class families in order to give massive tax breaks to the richest of the rich and the largest corporations.

Cravaack continues to toe the party line, voting in favor of Republican Rep. Paul Ryan's (WI-1) budget, which passed 228-191.

The Ryan budget boondoggle hands out trillions in tax breaks to corporations and the wealthiest Americans while simultaneously slashing 4.1 million middle class jobs and ending Medicare as we know it.

"Today Cravaack voted to put trillions of dollars in the pockets of big corporations by ripping it out of the hands of Minnesota families," Carrie Lucking, Executive Director of the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, said. "This is a question of priorities. Cravaack repeatedly puts the interests of big corporations with their lobbyists and limousines over the needs of middle class families in Northeast Minnesota. Instead of toeing the extreme, special interest party line, Cravaack should be representing the interests of Northeastern Minnesotans."

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VOTE IMPACT SUMMARY - CRAVAACK SUPPORTS EXTREME RYAN BUDGET

Chip Cravaack voted to cut millions of jobs in order to give tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.

• The House Republican budget plan will cut roughly 4.1 million jobs. [The Economic Policy Institute, 3/21/12]

Chip Cravaack voted to give $3 trillion in tax breaks to corporations, Big Oil, and the richest of the rich.

• The House Republican budget includes $3 trillion in tax breaks to corporations and the richest of the rich. The Ryan budget - among other major changes to the American tax code - cuts the top corporate tax rate to 25 percent and repeals the repatriation tax on profits corporations earn overseas then bring back to the United States. [Think Progress, 3/20/12]


• While American families pay more money at the pump, the House Republican budget pads Big Oil's pockets. The Ryan budget retains a decade's worth of $40 billion in tax breaks to Big Oil, while cutting billions of dollars in investments to develop alternate fuels and clean energy technologies. [Think Progress, 3/20/12]


• Under the House Republican budget, every millionaire would receive at least an $187,000 tax cut. [Think Progress, 3/22/12; Citizens for Tax Justice, 3/22/12] Nearly all of the residents of the 8th district make less than $200,000 a year in their jobs. [New York Times]

Chip Cravaack voted for millions of Americans to lose health insurance and to turn Medicare into a voucher system - but kept giveaways to big insurance companies in place.

• Under the House Republican budget plan, more than 47 million Americans would lose health coverage. The Ryan budget repeals the Affordable Care Act, which provides health coverage for 33 million Americans. The Ryan budget also transforms Medicaid by replacing federal funding with block grants to states - causing more than 14 million Americans to lose coverage in 10 years. [Center for American Progress, 3/20/12]


• The House Republican budget plan will end Medicare as we know it and turn it into a voucher system. More than 800,000 seniors in Minnesota would be forced onto vouchers when they retire. The Ryan budget proposes gives Medicare beneficiaries a choice between a voucher system and the traditional Medicare plan; however, "private plans could 'cherry pick' healthier seniors, driving up premiums for those who remain in traditional Medicare. And private plans would be able to undercut traditional Medicare in other ways, such as by offering free gym memberships or other perks. As a result more and more seniors would gradually shift to private plans over time." [Center for American Progress, 3/20/12; DPCC, 3/22/12]


• Hundreds of thousands of seniors would become uninsured under the House Republican budget plan. The Ryan budget raises the Medicare eligibility age to 67 and scales back or eliminates other coverage options, causing hundreds of thousands of seniors to become uninsured. [Center for American Progress, 3/20/12; Think Progress, 3/20/12]


• The House Republican budget plan reopens the prescription drug donut hole. More than 86,000 Minnesota seniors' drug costs will increase by up to $44 billion through 2020 and by $2.2 billion in 2012 alone. The Ryan plan repeals the Affordable Care Act, which closed donut hole in the Medicare prescription drug program, Part D. [Huffington Post, 3/27/12; DPCC, 3/22/12]

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is back, folks. House Republicans passed an ALEC-inspired Voter ID constitutional amendment last night, which would do nothing but make it harder for law-abiding citizens to vote. Today, ALEC is taking over the House State Government Innovation and Veterans Committee--with four bills copied from the ALEC playbook scheduled to be heard.

ALEC is a secretive, corporate-funded conservative organization that brings together hundreds of corporate lobbyists and thousands of state legislators. ALEC allows legislators to essentially outsource drafting legislation to corporate lobbyists, ensuring that legislation introduced across the country benefits large corporations, not middle-class Americans. [Common Cause MN, 01/17/12]

ALEC's "model legislation" is often cut and pasted verbatim and introduced at state Capitols around the country. Minnesota is no exception.

The State Government Innovation and Veterans will convene at 1:00pm and among the ALEC bills is HF 1850. Sen. Ortman wants to amend the employee gainsharing system (an ALEC budget reform toolkit recommendation) to increase the maximum award.

The next ALEC-inspired bill being heard is HF 1812, which removes the requirement that before an agency seeks out a private waste contractor, it must first verify that no state employee is able and available to provide the services needed. This is, quite simply, an attack on public workers.

The third ALEC bill the State Government Innovation and Veterans Commitee will hear today is Sen. Thompson's SF 2090. Sen. Thompson claims he is not a member of ALEC, but in addition to authoring two of the four ALEC bills heard in this committee today, Sen. Thompson is also the author of the unsafe, unfair and unnecessary ALEC-inspired Right to Work constitutional amendment.

The last and final ALEC bill that will be heard today is one we've mentioned before: what Republicans call the "Equal Pay and Benefits Act."

As you can see, Minnesota Republicans are working as hard as ever to pass ALEC's pro-corporate, anti-worker agenda. Our elected officials should be working for us, not for corporate special interests.

Photo credit: Flickr

So-Called "Right to Work": A Centerpiece of the ALEC Corporate Agenda

Corporate America's biggest goal is to keep their labor costs as small as possible and to prevent workers from organizing unions to advocate for employee rights. To achieve this corporate end, ALEC has provided model legislation to dramatically reduce workers' rights and gut labor unions.

A key centerpiece of these efforts is the so-called "Right to Work" movement. ALEC provides model legislation on so-called "Right to Work" in order to forward their corporate, anti-worker agenda. ALEC model legislation on "Right to Work" is as follows [Center for Media and Democracy]:

Section 4. {Freedom of choice guaranteed, discrimination prohibited.} No person shall be required, as a condition of employment or continuation of employment:

(A) to resign or refrain from voluntary membership in, voluntary affiliation with, or voluntary financial support of a labor organization;

(B) to become or remain a member of labor organization;

(C) to pay any dues, fees, assessments, or other charges of any kind of amount to a labor organization;

(D) to pay to any charity or other third party, in lieu of such payments, any amount equivalent to or a pro-rata portion of dues, fees, assessments, or other charges regularly required of members of a labor organization; or

(E) to be recommended, approved, referred or cleared by or through a labor organization.

So-Called "Right to Work" In Minnesota

In Minnesota, the proposed constitutional amendment language authored by Sen. Dave Thompson (SF 1705) is:

An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is proposed to the people. If the amendment is adopted, a section shall be added to article I, to read:

Sec. 18. No person shall be required as a condition of obtaining or continuing public sector or private sector employment to: (1) resign or refrain from membership in, voluntary affiliation with, or voluntary financial support of a labor organization; (2) become or remain a member of a labor organization; (3) pay any dues, fees, assessments, or other charges of any kind or amount, or provide anything else of value, to a labor organization; or (4) pay to any charity or other third party an amount equivalent to, or a portion of, dues, fees, assessments, or other charges required of members of a labor organization. An agreement, contract, understanding, or practice between a labor organization and an employer that takes force or is extended or renewed after adoption of this section and that violates this section is unlawful and unenforceable.

The similarities in language between the Minnesota bill and ALEC's model legislation are very troubling; however, even more troubling is the role that Comcast Vice President of Government Relations, John Gibbs, plays in ALEC. Comcast, a notorious union-busting company (see: Comcast's anti-union efforts in "This is Comcast: Silencing Our Voice at Work"), has worked diligently and sometimes outside legal parameters to prevent its workforce from unionzing. Gibbs is the Minnesota state corporate chair of ALEC, and so-called "Right to Work" would clearly further his own corporation's interests.

Right to Work represents nothing more than an unsafe, unfair and unnecessary national corporate takeover. In Minnesota, this constitutional amendment puts the safety of our families at risk. It will make it more difficult for nurses to bargain for safe staffing levels, for construction workers to ensure safe worksites and for emergency responders like police and firefighters, t to negotiate for things that keep us all safe - like faster response times and life-saving emergency equipment.

We don't need this risky amendment. Independent experts say it could lead to thousands of layoffs. Our state has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, manufacturing is now one of the strongest sectors of our economy, and Forbes magazine recently rated Minnesota as having the third-best quality of life in the country.

In contrast, since Oklahoma has passed Right to Work, the state has lost over one-third of its manufacturing jobs. Over 20% of people in Texas and Florida have no health insurance compared to 8% in Minnesota. And the average weekly benefit for those hurt on the job is 22% less in so-called "Right to Work" states compared to Minnesota.

Under federal law, unions are required to represent all workers and bargain a contract that benefits all workers. Because of that, unions are allowed to charge all workers fair share dues to cover the costs of representation and bargaining. This proposed amendment would eliminate unions' ability to collect fair share dues, resulting in only some workers paying dues, but all workers receiving the benefits. That's unfair.

While worker productivity has skyrocketed in the past few decades, wages have stagnated. At the same time, studies show that CEO pay has grown 243 times higher than what the average worker makes. It's the American worker who makes companies profitable, and they should benefit too. We need to make our economy work for everyone, not just members of the one percent like corporate CEOs.

To read more about the unsafe, unfair and unnecessary Right to Work bill and its connections with ALEC, read our more comprehensive report: Right-to-Work-ALEC-Report.pdf

Photo credit: Flickr

Today, the Alliance for a Better Minnesota delivered thousands of petitions to Rep. Mary Franson demanding she post a video apologizing for comments she made comparing people on food stamps to feeding wild animals. Her comments were hurtful, wrong-headed and offensive to many Minnesotans. We hope Rep. Franson will take these letters to heart and deliver a sincere apology.

Check out some of the coverage of Rep. Franson's comments and refusal to apologize below:

Note: A separate organization held protests today at the Capitol and is calling for Rep. Franson's resignation. The Alliance for a Better Minnesota is not calling for Rep. Franson's resignation and instead asking that she post a video apologizing for her comments.

South Washington County Bulletin: Protesters want state lawmaker to resign over food stamp comments

Also in...

Duluth News Tribune: Protesters want Minnesota representative to resign after welfare-feeding-animals comparison (with video)
Bemidji Pioneer: Protesters want Franson to resign
Fargo Forum: Protesters call for Alexandria Rep. Franson to resign after controversial YouTube post
Grand Forks Herald: Protesters seek Minnesota State Rep. Franson's resignation

Star Tribune: Protesters demand Franson's resignation

KSTP: Controversy Over Legislator's Remarks About Food Stamp Recipients Heats Up

MPR: Legislator under fire for food stamp comments

Star Tribune: Slow burn on state Rep. Franson's food stamp comments

Echo Press: Alliance for a Better Minnesota demands apology from Republican Party over Franson video

Star Tribune: State Rep. Mary Franson apologizes for comparing food stamps to feeding the animals

Huffington Post: Mary Franson, Minnesota State Representative, Compares Food Stamp Recipients To Wild Animals

City Pages: Mary Franson, MNGOP Rep., compares food stamp recipients to wild animals [VIDEO]

Think Progress: Minnesota State GOP Rep. Compares Food Stamp Program To Feeding 'The Animals'

Mediaite: GOP State Rep. Faces Backlash After Drawing Parallel Between Food Stamps And Feeding Animals

Echo Press: Franson's comments about food stamps stir controversy

Care2: Minnesota Legislator Discusses Food Stamps: Please Don't Feed The Animals

Blue Stem Prairie: Heartless in the heartland: Representative Mary Franson compares feeding food stamp recipients to feeding wild animals

Alliance for a Better Minnesota demands apology from Republican Party of Minnesota

Over 2,500 signatures will be delivered to Rep. Franson tomorrow

Today, Carrie Lucking, Executive Director of the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, released the following statement in response to the Republican Party of Minnesota's defense of State Representative Mary Franson.

"We denounce any threatening statements to public officials, which is why the Alliance for a Better Minnesota (ABM) did not give out Rep. Franson's contact information and instead asked Minnesotans to sign a petition.  We will deliver the over 2,500 signatures that ABM has collected to Rep. Franson's office tomorrow at 11:00AM.

"However, I also take strong issue with the Republican Party of Minnesota's idea of what is 'irresponsible.'  Irresponsible is pre-taping a video in which you compare people experiencing poverty to wild animals - especially when 21% of the children you were elected to represent are poor.  It is equally irresponsible for anyone - Republican or Democrat - to advocate turning our backs on those who are going through a rough time.  Additionally, the height of irresponsibility is denouncing those who responded instead of the Representative who spoke so bitterly.

"We ask that the Republican Party of Minnesota also denounce Rep. Franson's words, which were just as unacceptable as some of the misguided responses she received."

From our Press Secretary Ryan:

This weekend, the silent film The Artist won several of the highly coveted awards at the 2012 Oscars. And with any award show, we started to wonder what could have been?

• What could have been had Chris Rock, instead of Billy Crystal, hosted the 2012 Oscars?
• What could have been had Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) not upset Viola Davis (The Help) for Best Actress?
• What could have been had Bridesmaid won Best Original Screenplay instead of Midnight in Paris?

Unlike The Artist, though, legislative Republicans weren't so silent when it came to handing out tax breaks for millionaires and big corporations during last year's budget debate.

Legislative Republicans could have put a stop to some of the many tax giveaways for big corporations and kept property taxes from rising 7.4% on small businesses - the real engine of our economy. They could have asked the richest Minnesotans to pay their fair share of taxes, but legislative Republicans chose to protect 7,700 millionaires at the expense of middle-class Minnesotans.

And with today's release of the February economic forecast, it got us thinking, again, about what could have been? What would Minnesota be like today had legislative Republicans not protected millionaires and big corporations over the middle class?

Let's take a look:

• If legislative Republicans had done the right thing instead of protecting millionaires over the middle class, we wouldn't have a $1.3 billion deficit forecasted for 2014-15 and would instead have a $35 million surplus. (Nov. 2011 MMB forecast)
• If legislative Republicans had done the right thing instead of protecting millionaires over the middle class, we wouldn't have borrowed $2.2 billion from our children.
• If legislative Republicans had done the right thing instead of protecting millionaires over the middle class, we wouldn't have cut Local Government Aid (LGA) by $101.9 million. LGA funds critical local services such as police, firefighters and first responders.
• If legislative Republicans had done the right thing instead of protecting millionaires over the middle class, we wouldn't have seen the elimination of the Market Value Homestead Credit and an increased burden on local property owners.
• If legislative Republicans had done the right thing instead of protecting millionaires over the middle class, we wouldn't have seen a rise in property taxes by five percent statewide as a result of drastic cuts to LGA and the elimination of the Market Value Homestead Credit.

So, in short, had Republicans done the right thing instead of protecting millionaires over the middle class, we wouldn't have a deficit, we wouldn't owe our school children billions of dollars and property taxes wouldn't have risen by over five percent in Minnesota.

And so, without further adieu...

THe Oscar for Best Tax Breaks for Millionaires and Big Corporations goes to...

Legislative Republicans!