Tillberry: I Support Gov. Dayton’s Balanced Approach to Budget

To the editor:

On May 16, Gov. Dayton offered his budget compromise offer: slightly less than half in revenue and slightly more than half in cuts. The governor modified his tax proposal and now the proposed fourth-tier bracket would go from $85,000 in taxable income for singles to $150,000 and from $150,000 in taxable income for couples to $250,000. Gov. Dayton’s tax plan would affect less than 2 percent of Minnesotans.

This proposal is exactly what the people of Minnesota are expecting of us. They want a reasonable discussion and for us to sit down and work out a fair, responsible budget compromise. In a recent poll, an overwhelming majority of Minnesotans support a balanced approach of revenue and cuts, while just 27 percent support the all-cuts approach advocated by the Republican majority.

I have long advocated for what I call the three Rs: revenue, reform and reduction. Gov. Dayton’s compromise budget contains all three of those things. Furthermore, it doesn’t cause the reckless cuts present in the Republican budget. The Republicans would rather cut 150,000 people off health care, jack up property taxes by over $1 billion, cause more than 30,000 people to lose their jobs, raise college tuition by $200 million, harm our schools and cause deep cuts to services in our local communities, all to prevent the wealthiest 2 percent of Minnesotans from contributing to the budget solution.

Budgets are about priorities and choices. The Republicans seem more concerned with protecting the wealthy and special interests than helping the middle class. I support Gov. Dayton’s balanced approach. I believe that those who have the most should be able to pay their fair share to help us create a better Minnesota.

—State Rep. Tom Tillberry