Margaret Anderson Kelliher for Governor

A Jobs Budget that Protects Minnesota's Priorities

Minnesota has more than a budget problem – we face a jobs deficit. Almost 204,000 Minnesotans are out of work and tens of thousands more are underemployed, working harder and earning less. As Governor, I will do everything it takes to get Minnesota back to work. Facing a projected $5.8 billion budget deficit, I will fight for a balanced budget solution that creates jobs and protects Minnesota’s highest priorities.

Minnesota Faces a Jobs Deficit

State Economist Tom Stinson is very clear: Wage loss due to unemployment and underemployment are significantly impacting the state budget. Analysis of DEED’s most recent unemployment figures and MMB’s revenue calculations reveal that every time Minnesota’s unemployment rate grows 1 percent, state revenue decreases $659 million.

Creating Jobs and Protecting Minnesota's Highest Priorities

Balancing the budget is more than a math problem. It’s a reflection of the values we hold as Minnesotans. That’s why as Governor I will build a budget based on Minnesota’s highest priorities. Those priorities are:

• Good Jobs – As Governor, I will do everything it takes to get Minnesota back to work in good-paying jobs. I will do that by: 1) Bringing federal dollars home; 2) Investing in high-priority infrastructure; 3) Expanding Minnesota industries and growing small businesses; 4) Educating Minnesota’s workforce for the next generation of jobs; and 5) Growing the clean energy economy.
• Great Schools – As Governor, I will make sure every school has the resources they need to prepare our children for success in the 21st Century economy. I will fight to make sure we have a great teacher in every classroom and that every child comes to Kindergarten ready to learn. I will invest in Minnesota’s greatest asset – a skilled workforce to build the strongest economy in the nation.
• Strong Infrastructure – As Governor, I will invest in the critical infrastructure that our state, regional, and local economies depend on. Sound investments in road and bridge safety and a 21st Century transit system will grow our economy and create jobs. And investing in our parks, trails, and other essential infrastructure will add value to our communities and improve our quality of life.
• Affordable Health Care – As Governor, I will make sure all Minnesotans have health care by 2014. I support the Minnesota Health Plan because it’s the right thing to do. But a cost study must be completed first, because that’s the fiscally responsible thing to do. While working toward that goal, I will cover all Minnesotans by: 1) Bringing $1.4 billion in federal health care funding home from Washington; 2) Fully-implementing federal reforms; and 3) Reforming MinnesotaCare.

Measuring Improvement, Delivering Value for Every Dollar

As Governor, I will ensure we measure performance not just by comparing Minnesota to other states, but against our own goals as well.  We must make a lasting commitment to performance management, outcome-based budgeting, and including Minnesotans in the budgeting process. Those measures will help state government deliver better results at a lower cost.

A Balanced Budget

For too long, too many people have looked at the state budget as a math problem that can only be addressed by cutting or taxing. But the state’s finances require a more comprehensive approach – one that redesigns the way we deliver services while laying the groundwork for both immediate and long-term economic growth.

I will work to put our state on sound fiscal footing while protecting Minnesota’s highest priorities in the upcoming budget cycle. My solution is based on a budget framework that includes 40 percent new revenues, 30 percent savings and budget reductions, and 30 percent temporary budget tools that will position Minnesota for long-term budget stability.

• Fair and Progressive Taxation: As Governor, I will ask the wealthiest Minnesotans – those earning $250,000 or more – to contribute their fair share.
• Tax Compliance: As Governor, I will increase tax compliance efforts to ensure Minnesotans are paying what they owe in taxes.
• Update Tax Code and Review Special Tax Expenditures: As Governor, I will review the recommendations of Minnesota’s foundations and the Governor’s 21st Century Tax Reform Commission’s report to ensure Minnesota’s tax system is fair and focused on growth. By reducing $1 billion in tax expenditures, I will ensure our tax code is more equitable and delivers better results for Minnesota taxpayers.
• Closing Tax Loopholes and Ending Sweetheart Deals: As Governor, I will close costly tax loopholes and put an end to sweetheart deals. Offshore tax havens, tax loopholes and risky financial schemes allow some corporations to evade their responsibility to our state. 
• Responsible Use of Temporary Budget Tools: As Governor, I will continue to use our current K-12 payment, corporate tax refund and capital equipment refund payment schedules until economic conditions improve. 
• Better Return on Federal Dollars: As Governor, I will work with our congressional delegation to bring our tax dollars home – because the hard-working people of Minnesota deserve a good value for their dollar. My first action as Governor will be to immediately sign an executive order, bringing $1.4 billion and 30,000 jobs home to our state.
• Eliminating Inefficiencies/Cutting Bureaucracy: As Governor, I will audit our state’s performance to identify ways government can eliminate inefficiencies and become more effective. My administration will create an Office of the Human Services Inspector General who will eliminate fraud and make certain every tax dollar is spent appropriately on the service for which it was intended. I would also look to significantly reduce unnecessary upper-management political appointees in the state’s bureaucracy.
• Priority-Based Budget Reductions: My administration will look at new ways to redesign the delivery of state government services and create the outcomes Minnesotans expect, while saving $640 million.

Minnesota's Best Days are Ahead of Us

Balancing the budget responsibly will require more than adding and subtracting – it will require the bold, visionary leadership Minnesota needs to thrive in a changing 21st Century economy.

Realigning the budget to create the outcomes Minnesotans expect and positioning our state for job growth will not be easy. It will require Minnesotans working together – and I am the only candidate who can make that happen.

I know where I come from, and I will never forget who I’m fighting for. I will never quit. I will never give up – because 204,000 Minnesotans are out of work, and our children deserve the opportunity to learn, grow, and live in a great state. That’s why I’m running to be Minnesota’s next Governor.