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By Phil Krinkie
With the passing of one of the least celebrated holidays on our 2008 calendars, Groundhog’s Day, it is now time for Minnesotans to turn their attention to the next momentous event of the year, the start of the 2008 Legislative Session. The start of the Legislative Session will likely receive the same fanfare and celebration as did the actions of Punxsutawney Phil on February 2nd.
As we prepare for the opening of the 2008 legislative session, it’s time to muse about what action or inaction may occur with the return of state lawmakers to St. Paul. Will Senator Pogemiller see his shadow? And if he does, will there be another six weeks of meaningless transportation working groups? These are all questions to ponder as the debate about taxes, transportation and fishing openers begins in earnest on February 12th.
One scenario for the 2008 session could follow closely the plot of the 1993 comedy film “Groundhog’s Day” starring Bill Murray.
As you may remember in the movie Murray plays Phil Connors, an egocentric TV weatherman who while covering the annual Groundhog’s Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, finds himself repeating the same day over and over again.
Minnesotans could wake up on February 12th (and 13th, and 14th, and 15th…) to see the same cast of characters repeating the same events of the 2007 session. My candidate for the role of Phil Connors would have to be Sen. Steve Murphy from Red Wing. For the last 12 months he’s been repeating the same tune, “We need a gas tax increase” and “Lt. Governor Molnau (Commissioner of Transportation) must go.” Other contenders for the leading role could go to Rep. Paul Marquart, Chair of the Property Tax Committee, for his worn-out refrain of “Property Tax Relief” and “We Need More Local Government Aid.” Of course, we can’t leave out the possibility of Senate Majority Leader Pogemiller as a contender with his famous lyrics of “Tax the Rich.” This is always a favorite of the ten percent of Minnesotans who pay 55% of the total income tax collected in the state.
And of course it wouldn’t be Groundhog’s Day if we didn’t hear from the “it’s for the children crowd” with why we need to spend more money for K-12 education. The other theme that is sure to be repeated during the 2008 session is the call for universal health care coverage. These are just a few of the topics that will undoubtedly be on an “endless rhetorical loop” during the 2008 session, playing over and over just like the repeated situations in the movie. Each day waking up with the same people, doing and saying the same thing, day after day after day.
So, will the 2008 session be a repeat of 2007 with a long list of failed attempts to raise taxes and efforts to override Governor Pawlenty’s vetoes? Will the chorus of “we need to raise taxes” be halted? Or will legislators realize that there isn’t a two billion surplus and wake up to the fact that Minnesota is on the brink of an economic recession. With gasoline at $3.00 a gallon, rapidly escalating food prices and heating costs going through the roof, now is not the time to impose billions of dollars in new taxes.
Hopefully, the broken record that was played during the 2007 session isn’t put back on the turntable for a few more spins. And just like Phil Connors in “Groundhog’s Day” – who finally does wake up from his nightmare after changing his selfish ways – perhaps my former colleagues will also change their ways and begin legislating on behalf of the economic prosperity of the state and not just on behalf of the special interest groups that fund their re-election hopes. |
