Cities to Pawlenty: We want our LGA

BY DWIGHT HOBBES

Gov. Tim Pawlenty, about as ruthless a Republican as one can come by, slashed Local Government Aid (LGA) in his first terms like the money was coming out of his own pocket. Re-elected by a hair, will he now less ruthless? Will there be any more money than before to pay for police, firefighters, health clinics and libraries? While it’s a bit early to size up how the LGA formula will look for Minneapolis, there are expressions of optimism.

First things first, Pawlenty, of course, is no longer sitting anywhere near as pretty as he used to be. “Governor Pawlenty won this election,” Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak observes, “but he shouldn’t take it personally. The state voted overwhelmingly for a change in direction. People were willing to give the governor another chance, but they want a dramatic shift away from the budgeting priorities that, for Minneapolis, deeply hurt our public safety, our libraries, parks and basic services. The governor’s 2003 budget [had] sweeping cuts that led to negative impacts [with] traumatic cuts in police protection, fire protection, library hours and multiple other services in the city, including those in our [departments of] civil rights, health and parks.” In fact, the good governor tossed people who were both low-income and flat broke off health insurance by the ten thousands. Two days after nearly losing his job, Pawlenty hurried up and started changing his spots. “We all, I think, can chart a path toward universal coverage,” he said in a luncheon speech to a health reform conference in Minneapolis. “We’re going to have to move in stages. We should start with covering all kids.” There are no reports that his nose actually grew. However, one does well to count less on his sudden concern for all God’s chillun and more on the new DFL majority putting his feet to the fire.

Mayor Rybak won’t go quite that far in his musings, but does add, “This legislature, led by [DFL House Leader and Speaker-designate] Margaret Anderson Kelliher and [State Senator and soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader] Larry Pogemiller, will be able to go back with majorities and with a mandate to set different priorities.” Priorities that Rybak says don’t begin and end with indulging a rich clique, but, instead, “represent the values of helping all people. Part of that, I think, is to restore some of the cuts that remain in Local Government Aid.”

How closely will Rybak be able to work with Kelliher and Pogemiller to turn things around for Minneapolis? “I look forward to working with them as I have in the past.” He notes that Kelliher, while representing Minneapolis, did a fine job working for urban concerns and that Pogemiller has a passion for government living up to its responsibility to level the playing field between haves and have-nots. He cautions, though, that he’s not expecting either one to show favoritism. “They are gifted legislators. It clearly helps to have people from Minneapolis in leadership. However, their jobs have changed from representing just Minneapolis to representing the whole state. They represent not only Minneapolis, but the values that the state should be more focused on basic local services.” Rybak is particularly enthused about Senator Pogemiller, whom he calls, “the single person in the state who understands the property tax system better than anyone.

And he understands why it’s important to make changes that protect homeowners who were deeply hurt by [in] past budgets. [And who] are more challenged than ever, because property tax rates have fallen disproportionately on those at the lower end of the economic spectrum, one of many factors why foreclosures are up. Senator Pogemiller shares my view that the property tax system should not have hit those most in need so hard.” He sums up, “Part of the job of Minneapolis’ [remaining] legislators and myself is to keep making the case for the unique needs of our city.” Rybak also notes that he and City Council members have made trips to cities in greater Minnesota, comparing notes on how all their asses have been kicked. “We need to go into this session with a clear message that this city and many parts of the state have suffered [because of] budgeting strategies from the Republican administration.”

According to Margaret Anderson Kelliher, the DFL will give Pawlenty and the rest of his outnumbered party every chance to play ball. The ensuing change in climate won’t be about payback, but about leaving all the room in the world to make Minnesota nice. “We as a DFL caucus [which gained 19 members] have been very concerned about the cuts to local government. So, we will take a look at this. [Also], we will reach out to the governor to find common ground on issues we can move forward on.” She adds that, as House Speaker, “I will reach across the aisle to Republican members to make sure they feel they are included in our discussions and feel they can represent their constituencies. Obviously, there will be legitimate differences between Democrats and Republicans. But solving those differences in a civil way is going to be important.”

Minneapolis City Council President Barbara Johnson agrees with the mayor about Kelliher and Pogemiller being a dynamic duo. “Her message has been education, property taxes and health care. Senator Pogemiller has reiterated to me several times his concern about people in the city being taxed out of their homes. We have the opportunity to see change.” Johnson points out that it’s sensible to keep a wide field of vision. “It isn’t just at the state level where there’s been a lack of support for local government. It’s come from the federal level, too. President Clinton had this Clinton’s Cops program, where they hired 100, 000 [more police officers] across the nation. George Bush, when he got in, eliminated the funding for it.” Well, just as it happened in Minneapolis, Democrats shifted the balance on Capitol Hill.

Time, of course, will have to tell just how much the new bosses differ from the old ones. One draws at least a modicum of consolation in realizing that it’s hard to imagine things actually getting worse. ||