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Friday, May 25, 2012
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| | Email this article • Print this article | Arrogant attitudes of major parties could come back to bite
There is an attitude in state political circles that there are only two parties in the race for governor this year. That attitude was reinforced recently by a local political candidate, who had the same attitude in scoffing at the idea that Independence Party hopeful Tom Horner is even a factor in the race this fall.
To those doubters: Be careful and do not underestimate the discontent the general electorate has with the "two major parties" in Minnesota. This could be the year that a third party, with a middle-of-the-road approach, could pull off an upset.
Fat-and-happy complacency by DFLer Skip Humphrey and Republican Norm Coleman in 1998 cost them dearly when Jesse Ventura "shocked the world." Horner, however, is no Jesse Ventura.
That said, that scenario is setting itself up this election as Tom Emmer's GOP and Mark Dayton's DFL campaigns have pooh-poohed Horner's Independence Party as insignificant and irrelevant. Both think Horner will take votes from the other. He could take them away from both major parties. In a three-way race, a majority is not needed to win.
Apparently, the major parties have learned nothing over the past 12 years. And Horner could not be happier.
In 1998, the differences between Humphrey and Coleman were not that great, other than the uppity arrogance both displayed to voter disenchantment.
This year's race is a stark contrast: Emmer is a staunch conservative whose main plan is to cut our way to prosperity, while Dayton is a classic tax-and-spend liberal. They could not be more polar opposites. Many uncommitted voters would have a tough time voting for either at this point.
So where does that leave the majority of Minnesotans who may like some things in either camp, but not the complete package? Most Minnesotans consider themselves in the center of the political spectrum with neither major party offering much in the way of rational solutions, yet.
These voters may find Horner, and his running mate Jim Mulder, more to their liking. Mulder was in Glencoe last week to spell out what the Independence Party gubernatorial tandem is offering for solutions.
Some we thought were reasonable, others were dubious. On the dubious side is Horner's idea of sanctioning same-sex marriage and his support for a mostly public-financed Vikings stadium. We support neither.
On the other hand, we could live with some of the other ideas:
• Redesigning state government by getting rid of duplications in various state departments (Emmer also supports that idea, but is a bit more Draconian in his approach);
• Investing more in research and development to stimulate job creation, and make Minnesota more business friendly by phasing out the corporate income tax (much like Emmer);
• Stopping the state's raids on school districts' reserve funds, and simplifying the state aid formula to fund education;
• Placing a moratorium on unfunded and underfunded mandates, and to "sunset" and review those currently in place;
• Looking at expanding the state's sales tax to other items as a fairer way to generate more revenue in these tough economic times, since cutting alone will not solve the budget deficit (unlike Emmer);
• Doing away with county state aid, but allowing counties the ability to levy their own half-cent sales tax, if they can get the county voters to approve;
• Lifting local levy limits and allowing local units of government to make those levy decisions.
We like the local discretion of the latter two proposals. As Mulder pointed out, "That should be a local decision."
Now, let us hear what the two major parties have to say. To date, they have been thin on substance.
- R.G.
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