Monday night, OurFutureMN was a featured presenter at an event talking about K-12 education funding and its impact on school district operations. It’s odd that an organization that isn’t a think tank or that doesn’t specialize in public policy analysis would be invited to an event that was supposed to talk about the impact the school shift has had on school operations.
Based on this article from their website, OurFutureMN is a PR/propagandist organization. Here’s the tipoff:
The Pay Back Our Kids Act would pay back the $2.4 billion Minnesota owes to its kids and schools by closing corporate tax loopholes.
Closing corporate loopholes sounds great but the revenues from that decision will be minimal. They certainly won’t close the gap as quickly as the GOP’s legislation that Gov. Dayton vetoed. That’s the legislation that would’ve paid off $430,000,000 of the school shift.
Also included in Caitlin Rogers’ presentation was “The Community Pledge”:
I commit to supporting elected leaders who invest in Minnesota priorities – great schools, good jobs, and safe, healthy communities with balanced approach budget solutions that responsibly raise revenue. I will urge my elected leaders to adequately fund education, public safety and vital services in our communities by requiring corporations and the richest 1% to pay their fair share.
What do “public safety and vital services in our communities” have to do with education funding? Obviously, they’re important policy issues but they don’t have anything to do with education.
The importance of this pledge is to the DFL, not to education funding. This year, the DFL will run on raising taxes. This pledge was signed by DFL activists. Period. There weren’t any conservatives or independents in the room. If there would’ve been conservatives or independents in the room, they wouldn’t have signed the pledge.
This was intended to be a photo op. Clearly, they wanted to show that raising taxes is gaining support. Raising taxes isn’t gaining support by any stretch of the imagination.
If OurFutureMN wasn’t there to add policy expertise, which they weren’t, then they were there to provide propaganda cover for the DFL.
That makes it a campaign event, not a policy-centered event.
Tgs: OurFutureMN.org, Community Pledge, K-12, Education, Tax Increases, Pay Back Our Kids Act, Ryan Winkler, Caitlin Rogers, Photo Op, DFL, Election 2012
What exactly are the “vital services” this woman speaks of? How does closing a so called loophole allow more funding of these services and how does she think that if corporations pay more taxes, it won’t be passed onto the consumer of those corporations services or goods in the form of higher prices?
Closing the loophole may “generate” more money for the government but that does not mean it will be spent on anything related to “vital services” or education. As a matter of fact, it will probably be used to pay for the billion dollar Vikings play land the legislature just passed when gambling receipts aren’t enough to cover the costs.
I am waiting for someone besides three card-cutters to claim the AARP is a Democratic Party captive because it opposes ALEC’s voter ID mischief.
That mantra, for ALEC or a Democratic tool, has already been pushed out the door against League of Women Voters.
What a bunch of manufactured hooey.
The LWV’s involvement in preventing election integrity makes them a disgraced organization & a tool of the DFL. As for the DFL’s mantra that voter fraud doesn’t exist, that’s bullshit on steroids. I’ve documented the proof in my Examiner articles & on this blog. The DFL saying it doesn’t exist is a bald-faced lie. It’s being rejected by hundreds of thousands of likely voters.
Talking about the Left’s boogeymen won’t change the truth.
Eric:
The state of Florida thinks hundreds of thousands of illegal voters are on their roles. Just 50,000 illegal voters can explain Dayton winning instead of Emmer and Franken instead of Coleman.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
League of Women Voters is a very responsible group, having much of value to say. To be overly dismissive is to not be open to dialog. They are very good people, who believe in what they do and they have done much good for the nation.
The same is true of the AARP, and both groups oppose Photo-ID for very well grounded reasons that too many others oppose and critize superficially, in simple knee-jerk reaction mode.
Walter – Let’s try precision, “The State of Florida thinks,” seems to want to collectiveize something you’ve gotten from public yammerings of a handful of individuals with an agenda.
You are the last person from whom I’d have expected collectivization feelings or norms.
The French Nation believes you are wrong. Japan is uncertain. Bolivia agrees with you.
The LWV used to be a responsible organization. Now they’re just another propaganda tool for the DFL. Their outright lies on Photo ID are disgusting. And yes, I’ve detailed those lies on LFR & on Examiner.com.
Despite Mr. Ritchie’s lies to the contrary, there is massive amounts of voter fraud in Minnesota. His statements notwithstanding, the fact is that it’s been highlighted countless times by Minnesota Majority. Before you start with the “But Minnesota Majority is a partisan operation” BS, go argue with their findings. They’re exceptionally well-documented. Deal with it.