Campaign has $1.34 million cash on hand

Eden Prairie, MN – Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) raised $379,862 during the second quarter of 2010 to give his re-election campaign a total of $1,347,000 cash on hand.

"It is clear my message of fiscal discipline and job growth is certainly resonating with people in the 3rd District," said Paulsen. "I will continue to work hard every day to put a lid on excessive government spending and push for greater economic prosperity for all Minnesotans. I also want to thank my campaign volunteers, who are working very hard to promote our grassroots effort. Now, with this level of financial support, we can make sure our message is heard."

To date, Paulsen has raised $1.9 million during the 2010 election cycle.

By Jeff Johnson

Is Hennepin County so broke it needs a new tax to fund basic road maintenance?

Last year, the Hennepin County Board (minus the votes of Commissioner Randy Johnson and me) voted to increase the general property tax levy by 4.95%. At the same time, the board (minus only my vote) also increased the county regional railroad authority levy by 114% and the county housing authority levy by 176%.

It’s only fair to note that county spending actually decreased between 2009 and 2010, but not enough to avoid tax increases.

As we begin our discussions about the county’s 2011 budget, the safe bet would be that all three levies will increase again. But despite these increases, we are also considering a new source of revenue for the county (on top of the three major levies, the ballpark tax, the transit tax, the tax on garbage collection, etc.) known as a “wheelage tax.”

State law allows counties to levy a wheelage tax upon its citizens of up to $5 per vehicle annually. According to county estimates, a wheelage tax in Hennepin County would raise approximately $4 million per year. Pursuant to state law, that $4 million could only be spent on roads and bridges.

By Matt Abe

Northwest metro Republicans are invited to enjoy a barbecue dinner, nice summer weather, and greet the last stop of the Republican Party of Minnesota's statewide Freedom and Prosperity Bus Tour, as it arrives at the party's new Third Congressional District office at 111 Cheshire Lane in Minnetonka, this Friday around 6:15 pm. You can also pick up a lawn sign, meet party staff, and work a phone bank shift. The event will cap the three-day statewide bus tour across the state with stops in twenty cities.

Scheduled to appear are: gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, Lieutenant Governor candidate Annette Meeks, Attorney General candidate Chris Barden, State Auditor candidate Pat Anderson, Secretary of State candidate Dan Severson.

If you're elsewhere on the tour, check out the complete tour schedule and be there when the bus stops in your area:

Wednesday, June 30 - Red Wing, Winona, Rochester, Owatonna, Mankato, New Ulm, Hutchinson

Thursday, July 1 - Willmar, Alexandria, Fergus Falls, Moorhead, Fertile, Bagley, Bemidji

Friday, July 2 - Grand Rapids, Brainerd, Little Falls, St. Cloud, Elk River, Minnetonka

RSVP on Facebook.

From the In-Box

VOICES of Conservative Women (VOICESPAC) released its first round of endorsed candidates for Minnesota House and Senate candidates in the 2010 State Elections.

The (3) Senate and (5) House candidates VOICESPAC is endorsing today are firm supporters of fiscal responsibility, limited government and free market principles. The women endorsed today are knowledgeable and will be the effective leaders of tomorrow.

“These candidates understand that for our economy to grow and for our State to prosper, we must be good fiscal stewards of State finances. These women leaders understand that people provide the best solutions; not a larger, intrusive government,” said Jennifer DeJournett, Director of VOICES of Conservative Women.

“As we continue our efforts to make our VOICES heard, these candidates can be counted on to stay strong on principles and advocate for fiscally responsible policies.”

VOICESPAC published a questionnaire that was comprehensive and met with candidates that have sought our endorsement. We reviewed the candidates’ positions, records, and plans for Minnesota. In 2010 elections, VOICESPAC will actively work toelect our endorsed candidates.

Governor Pawlenty announced that he has appointed Minnetonka resident Brian Grogan to the Minnesota Academic Excellence Board (MAEF).

Grogan, founder and operator of Optimum Financial Group is honored by this appointment and looks forward to serving the people of Minnesota. The MAEF provides teachers with educational tools; administers the Education Quality Leadership Academy; offers workshops and training sessions to help school leaders improve school performance; and presents awards to outstanding students, educators, and supporters of education. MAEF is governed by a 21 member board of directors appointed by the Governor.

Brian Grogan acknowledged that Minnesota has the largest educational achievement gap in the nation between minorities and whites. In addition, over 50 percent of Minnesota's college bound high school graduates require remedial pre-college course work in math and writing.

Brian Grogan's participation on the board reflects his wholehearted desire to improve the college and job readiness of Minnesota's children by improving their K12 educational experience.

He looks forward to being a positive voice on the MAEF board.

Brian is the Republican endorsed candidate for House in district 43B. Learn more at his website.

By Sheila Kihne

Terri Bonoff's campaign must be worried, what else would explain nasty push-polling this early in the game?

Her opponent, Norann Dillon, has been all over the District for months now meeting withcommunity organizations, local business owners, and voters at their doors.   A PTO President and "soccer mom" with a degree in Mathematics and years of work in the non-profit world, she's a great candidate and carries a Republican endorsement.  While Bonoff and the DFL may act like they have this one in the bag, their polling tells a different story.  They know very well that the district is conservative and voted Republican for some 20 years before Bonoff  won the State Senate seat in a special election in 2005.

According to residents of Senate District 43 (Plymouth, Minnetonka) phone calls have been coming in over the last few days from a Denver-based company with a script that started off by asking questions about voters and if they viewed the following candidates favorably/unfavorably/no opinion:

1. Tom Emmer
2. Sarah Anderson (Republican State Representative)
3. Anderson's DFL Opponent
4. State Senator Terri Bonoff
5. Norann Dillon
6. The job Tim Pawlenty has done as governor
7. The Tea Party

• Bonoff's support for the Dream Act (giving tuition breaks to students whose parents are illegals)
• Bonoff's vote for the Gas Tax.....the "gas tax"?  you mean the $6.6 Billion DFL tax increase from 2008? Not only did Bonoff vote for the bill that became law, she has proudly proclaimed that she lead the way to override Governor Pawlenty's veto...and now we have a what $5 Billion budget deficit.  Go figure.
• Bonoff"was not beholden to her party"   (gotta love the non-negative-negative)   She was sure beholden to her party this spring when she voted with her party to create the highest state income tax rate outside of New York City.

By Brian Grogan

The 2010 session opened with legislators being informed that due to declining tax revenues, our state faced a $1.2 billion deficit. The deficit grew to $3.5 billion when the Minnesota Supreme Court overturned Governor Pawlenty’s 2009 unallotment. Sadly, during the 2010 session our legislative leaders worked harder at avoiding rather than dealing with our state’s fundamental issue: unsustainable spending. Minnesotans are poorer for it!

For the last four years, the Democrats have had significant majorities. They have controlled the legislative agenda in both chambers (Senate and House). During this period they have repeatedly communicated that our state faces a revenue problem. As proof, in the last three legislative sessions our state faced a deficit of $1 billion or more. But rather than having a serious bipartisan discussion on how to reduce government size, the Democrats have chosen to use tax increases (gas tax, sales taxes and others), accounting shifts and delayed payments to address the majority of the deficit problem. In other words they have consistently booted the deficit problems into the next session.

Is our state facing a spending or a revenue problem? Minnesota’s revenues are projected to grow by nearly 5 percent during the next biennium, but analysts are still projecting a $5.5 billion deficit. If revenues are growing in a slow economy, why is our state still facing a deficit? Because our state’s spending is increasing faster than revenues. In fact, under law many state programs have automatic spending increases regardless of whether our state has the revenues to pay for the program. We have a spending problem in Minnesota!

If you have cancer and your doctor told you not to worry about it. What would you think about his advice? The Democrat party wants Minnesotans to believe we don’t have any structural problems in our state’s budget. They want us to believe we can basically maintain the current spending programs while addressing our deficit problems with increased taxes, federal bailouts, shifting money and deferring payments to later times. They hope revenues will catch up with spending. This is a false hope the Democrat party is promising us.

Cancer treatment is painful and scary. Likewise redesigning our state’s commitment to children, families and the poor will be challenging. People will face difficult choices. If our state leaders address the state’s spending problems today, we will be an in better position to thrive in the future. The greater good is served by getting our fiscal house in order.

By Derek Brigham

I’ve had two opportunities recently to hear Greg Wersal speak to groups. The first was to the CD3 Full Committee Meeting, the second was this morning at the SD45 informal coffee meet up at Mountain Mudd in Plymouth. Wersal is running a double campaign, one is the message: A campaign for Judicial Accountability, the other is the actual position on the ballot as candidate for Minnesota Supreme Court Justice.

If you are a conservative, this is an easy one. There are only two people on the ballot this year, Incumbent Helen Meyer, appointed in 2002 by Governor Ventura; and Greg Wersal, the Republican and Constitution Party endorsed candidate. If you want one key reason beyond the endorsement, I would offer this: Meyer wants to take away your right to vote, and Wersal supports your right to vote for justices in free, open and competitive judicial elections. For me this is simple, I oppose judicial activism, which I see more and more of from the courts. And I support transparency, accountability and more information about candidates, rather than an elite selection process that essentially puts people in office for life. Here is a bullet point look at Greg Wersal's goals if elected:

1. ACCOUNTABILITY
Greg Wersal would work to establish, once and for all, judicial accountability to the people of Minnesota
* by establishing free, open and competitive judicial elections,
* making changes to the Board on Judicial Standards to create transparency and make its work open to the public.

2. PROTECT INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND ECONOMIC FREEDOM
Greg Wersal believes that the Constitution was meant to protect the people and their property from a too powerful government. To that end, he believes that where there are conflicting interests, the Court should error on the side which preserves individual rights and economic liberty. With this principle in mind, the Court should protect a. the right to private property by limiting the abuse of the power of eminent domain b. the right of free speech -- especially political speech -- from government controls c. the right to bear arms from government restrictions