Caledonia Argus

A hard time to be a Democrat

Posted: 2/4/03

by T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter

There are easier things to do than be a Democrat right now.

Coming off a general thumping last November, DFLers again find themselves in an uncomfortable position at the Legislature.

At issue today is gaunt spectre of the stateís multi-billion budget deficit.

Now Democrats, who in general favor active government and derive political strength from public employees, face the distasteful task of dismantling government and slashing budgets.

Things werenít easier for DFLers even in the years of budget surpluses.

While Republicans could luxuriate in the joyful politics of cutting taxes, the DFL ardor for the sport never seemed quite convincing.

In truth, tax cuts often went through the Legislature ó especially the House ó with strong bipartisan support. But Gov. Ventura and House Republicans were pushing the agenda.

House Democrats, offering neither strong support nor strong opposition, seemed enfeebled.

A person remembers how one metro Republican on the House floor use to read letters from elderly constituents and weep over the tax burden.

Whether a strong adherence to either approach would have helped last election is debatable.

Anyway, DFLers emerged from the election in diminished numbers. And it argues they need to reclaim their voice in the public policy debate.

To reestablish party beliefs. To reshape themselves into a recognizable and definable quantity.

This canít be done overnight. And sometimes in the House it seems it canít be done at all.

While House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, DFL-St. Paul, offers DFLers sharp instincts and a gift for language, House DFLers are off to a shaky start this session.

A main focuses in the early days of the session has been public safety. DFLers have criticized House Republicans for making passage of immigrant-status drivers license legislation their No. 1 priority.

Theyíve argued that the real danger to public safety is cutting local government aid (LGA). Theyíve pointed to a depleted public safety officialís benefit fund as indicative of the insensitivity of Pawlenty Administration officials.

Not bad stuff. Or is it?

While the debate over LGA is important, itís not an issue the average person can snuggle up to.

And reporters left the House DFL press conference on public officer benefits confused about eligibility ó it wasnít explained clearly and the story lost steam.

(DFLers deserve credit; the empty account was hurriedly funded by House and Senate).

On the driverís license issue, though House DFL leadership mocked Republicans for placing the bill high on their legislative altar, in the end a good many DFLers voted for it.

The bill passed the House 106 to 25 after a surprisingly short, if sometimes emotional, debate.

It might have been a defining moment for DFLers.

Their Republican counterparts in the Senate have been more successful.

Just in recent days, Senate Republicans have offered two budget proposals that are simple, direct, snappy.

One idea is a public employee salary freeze and the other is to increase double-bunking in state prisons as to prevent counties from being forced to handle prison overflow.

Here are two ideas tailored for television. Though not new ideas at all, their briskness suggests common sense and efficiency.

One discordant word comes to mind: Attica.

Senate Minority Leader Dick Day, R-Owatonna, has pulled his minority caucus to prominence through such catchy ideas as ramp meter studies and introduction of state-sponsored gaming.

House DFLers can do this too. But it takes boldness and a willingness to take risks.

A minority caucus has little to lose.

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