It isn’t surprising that the DFL is intent on putting together a gigantic bonding bill which they’ll tout as their jobs bill. While it’s true that the bonding bill will include important infrastructure maintenance projects, it’s statistically provable that there are thousands fewer construction jobs after 2 $1,000,000,000+ bonding bills.

The DFL is doing what they always do. They’re looking busy so they can tell people that they tried. It’s a copout. If they wanted to create jobs, they’d stop with their out-of-control spending and their accompanying tax increases. The DFL hasn’t noticed but businesses are leaving the state.

VitalMedix left Minnesota because Wisconsin has better angel investment tax laws. Distillers have left southern Minnesota because Minnesota’s annual fee is $30,000 whereas Iowa’s fee is $350 a year.

The DFL insists that the way to grow jobs is by having the government spend lots of money on……stuff. Meanwhile, North Dakota cut their taxes and are recruiting people from Ohio to fill the job openings they have. Because of the steps they took, North Dakota will be prosperous for the next generation or more. The top tax rate in North Dakota is 4.86%. It’s worth noting that that’s the rate for singles or for married couples filing jointly. (BTW, North Dakota’s unemployment rate for October, 2009 was 3.2%. I’m sure that’s just coincidence. It can’t have anything to do with their cutting taxes, right?)

When will the DFL stop singing the everybody-should-pay-their-fair-share song?

It’s time that they started asking whether their tax policies are driving businesses to Wisconsin, North Dakota and Iowa. They clearly are, which is why the Furtune 500 companies still left in Minnesota have moved their production facilities to other states. All that’s left of them in Minnesota are their headquarters.

Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, head of a House bonding committee, said she was hoping for about $1 billion in borrowing in the 2010 bonding bill. Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, wants a $1.5 billion bill.

We’re already running major deficits. Minnesota’s bond rating is being pushed to the limit and Reps. Rukavina and Housman want to break the bank on a bonding bill that might help a little for a short period of time.

Minnesotans, that’s what fiscal irresponsibility looks like. It’s time that Minnesota took steps that actually committed Minnesota to a path of fiscal responsibility. It’s time that we stopped saying spend, spend, spend. The only way we’ll ever accomplish either of those things is by eliminating the DFL majorities in the House and Senate.

Technorati: Bonding Bill, Borrowing, Alice Hausman, Tom Rukavina, Tax Increases, Spending, DFL, Tax Cuts, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Prosperity