May 11, 2009 7:04 pm US/Central
Hundreds Rally At Capitol In Favor Of Tax Hikes
ST. PAUL (WCCO) ―
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Hundreds attending a State Capitol rally said without tax hikes, poor and disabled Minnesotans will bear the brunt of brutal budget cuts.
CBS
The Legislature is entering its final week of the session. Lawmakers and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty are billions of dollars apart on the spending plan for the next two years.
People who rallied Monday at the Capitol were concerned that without tax hikes, services they depend on will disappear.
Pawlenty vetoed the tax hike bill at the weekend fishing opener, comparing Democrats to a bucket of leeches on the taxpayers.
But hundreds attending a State Capitol rally said without tax hikes, poor and disabled Minnesotans will bear the brunt of brutal budget cuts.
"We are ready to invest!" chanted the crowd.
"It hurts me in here," said Sue Johnson of New Hope, referring to proposed budget cuts.
The rally purported to be non-partisan, but the powerful Democratic House Speaker suddenly appeared, signaling her intentions.
"You know what we need to do? We need to override [the veto]," said DFL House Speaker Rep. Margaret Kelliher.
Meanwhile, a coalition of liberal groups began a billboard campaign accusing Pawlenty of placing his political ambitions on the national scene above the needs of the state.
Conservative groups rallied around the veto.
"Cuts always hurt, but cuts are necessary because those dollars have to come from somewhere," said Pat Anderson with the Minnesota Free Market Institute. "Everybody has to share the pain, and these folks need to understand that, too."
Pawlenty sent DFL leaders a letter late Monday afternoon modestly cutting back some of his proposals. For the first time Kelliher responded by Twitter, calling it "no compromise at all."
Pressure from the final days gave way to a rare moment of camaraderie. Leaders put the war on pause for a Minnesota trivia question.
Which six Minnesota counties are named after U.S. Presidents?
The answers are Fillmore, Grant, Jackson, Lincoln, Polk and Washington Counties.
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