Emmer Truth

Welcome to EmmerTruth.MN

Republican Tom Emmer is no stranger to playing fast and loose when it comes to offering specific plans and proposals to fix Minnesota's financial crisis.

When Tom Emmer gets something wrong, we'll set him right. EmmerTruth.MN will hold Tom Emmer accountable for his votes, TV ads, campaign emails, interviews, and blog posts.

Watch the video of highlights from Tom Emmer's interview with MPR and then read our fact checks below and help us spread the word on Twitter.

Fact: Tom Emmer has a not-so-great record when it comes to Greater Minnesota

Tom Emmer Has Consistently Voted Against the Things That Could Bring Jobs, Prosperity to Greater Minnesota

Representative Tom Emmer, the Republican candidate for Governor, has consistently voted against the things that could bring more jobs and prosperity to Greater Minnesota.

Whether it's broadband access for rural communities in Minnesota, ethanol and biofuel support or Local Government Aid, his record shows that when it comes to Greater Minnesota, his record is not so great.

Emmer statement:

Emmer proposed one cost-cutting move: eliminating job benefits and per-diems for state and local elected officials. Minnesota's constitutional officers and legislators receive benefits including health insurance, pensions and per diems, which may be claimed for attending meetings and other events.

Such perks encourage public servants to become career politicians, Emmer said.

Source: St. Cloud Times

Fact: Tom Emmer regularly takes advantage of the "perks" he now wants to elimate -- and he's publicly defended his doing so

Tom "I'm Not A Career Politician" Emmer Uses Classic Campaign Trick, Denounces Perk He Has Taken Advantage Of -- And Defended

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer told the St. Cloud Times that he would like to cut benefits and per diem to state elected officials. Yet throughout Emmer's legislative career he has taken full advantage of this perk, at the cost of thousands to taxpayers -- and even publicly defended.

Below are the amount of funds received by Tom Emmer for Per Diem expenses as a legislator:

2009 - $9,240.00
2008 - $6,039.00
2007 - $10,846.00
2006 - $6,336.00
2005 - $11,068.00

Source: House Controller

Emmer Campaign claim:

Tom Emmer has never said he will cut $20 billion from the state budget. In fact, he said we "can reduce government easily by 20% in the next four years - easily." In a classic case of cherry picking part of a quote out of context, Tom's opponents and the media have started to repeat this claim as a talking point.

Source: Emmer for Governor website

Fact: Emmer doesn't know how much he wants to cut the state budget and doesn't have a plan for how he will do it

Emmer Doesn't Know How Much He Wants To Cut The Budget

When asked how big the budget should be, he gave two different answers less than a minute apart. If you take him at his word, he estimates the state budget to be about $60 billion. He believes it should either be $40 billion or about $54 billion. No matter which number correctly reflects his position, everyone agrees that he has not offered a plan to cut the budget to any level. Emmer's campaign now says that he meant to say that the state budget should by cut by 10%. He had previously used the $20 billion figure several times.

Emmer Has No Plan For Minnesota's Budget Woes

Emmer has repeatedly eschewed specifics in how he will deal with the state's projected budget deficit. No matter how much Tom Emmer wants to cut the state budget, everyone agrees that he has not offered a specific plan to cut the budget to any level.

Tevlin: Emmer's Statements Don't Make Sense

In the Star Tribune columnist Jon Tevlin took Emmer to task for speaking in generalities about what he would -- or could -- cut and for using examples of wasteful programs which either don't receive much state funding or perform the kind of low-cost creative service Emmer says Minnesota needs.