Hat’s Off to our DFL Legislators
05/19/2008
Paul Munnis
It is time to take our hats off to three Rochester Area legislators who performed splendid work for Minnesota in this session. They contributed in ways big and small. We take our hats off to Rep. Tina Liebling, Rep. Kim Norton, and Rep. Any Welti.
No, we haven’t forgotten Senator Ann Lynch, we salute her especially for holding down a tough post in our Senate.
Good job guys. We ended up a session that was as good as we could get under the circumstances.
Personally, I know that all four worked hard not just during the season but they spent most of last summer commuting between home and Capitol to work on the Health Bill, the Education Bill, and issues dealing with fairly compensating the I-35W bridge collapse families for their loss. What is supposed to be a part-time, just for the session job, has turned into a work marathon for our three area legislators. All three come from backgrounds where hard work, attention to detail, and an ability to work through hours of boredom is a gift that they bring to the job.
So once again-- we take our hats off to you guys.
We wish you a peaceful Memorial Day, we look forward to applauding you in area parades all this summer, and we would not be surprised to see you working again this summer to organize solutions to the structural deficit that our State faces; all of that while running for re-election too. The good news about reelection is that you don’t have to go it alone -- many hands will be there to help you if the Olmsted DFL holds up its end of the rope and there is every reason to think that they will do so.
The Health Bill that was passed was good but is really as Sen Bergland said, “a down-payment on our future.” It’s a beginning of what must be done for public health and not the end of it. I know the Legislature knows what needs to be done on healthcare for they have produced a report that spells it out but Pawlenty is only allowing a small down payment on the future of our State to be made.
We need to once again thank the six Republicans that have been disciplined by the GOP for voting their conscience in terms of the Transportation Bill. Even if the GOP doesn’t think that you should have voted your conscience, we do think you should have done so and we defend your right to put your Conscience ahead of Petty Party Politics. Good job to you guys.
The 2008 Legislative session is history. The GOP has been shown to be shallow in terms of the public interest, they have opposed anything smacking of progress and the DFL had to once more show them the way forward with the exception of six Republicans who knew the right way forward and supported it.
All in all this was a good session; not being credited enough is the number of jobs being created as a result of this session. As we go into recession and jobs are lost then these will be quickly filled and the data won’t show the real payoff for the work being done on bridges, roads, new buildings, creating a new State Park, etc., yet a lot of people will be able to feed their families and clothe their kids because of the work that was done in this legislative session.
Once again we give the Minnesota accolade: Good Job Guys (or is it "Gals and a Guy?” I dunno -- but anyhow “Good Job.”