Right Wing Report Proves DFL Governor is GREAT for MN

There is a right wing nut job out there reviewing state economic conditions each week based on erroneous and misleading reports from ALEC.

ALEC statistics and conclusions  – they are misleading and spurious – twisting the numbers to fit ALEC's pre-determined conclusions.

ALEC policies are creating economic disasters for states that use them

This week the right wing nut job decided to pick on Minnesota.

The rankings listed in the report below
are what happens
when you DO NOT have a Democrat
in the governors office.

March 29, 2013 

Each week this year (with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas) we will examine the fiscal and economic health of one of the U.S. states. Our 14th state in this series is Minnesota. Here are the top five (or more) things you need to know about the Land of 10,000 lakes: 

•     There are actually 15,291 lakes in Minnesota.

•     The American Legislative Exchange Council ranks each state’s economic outlook based on 15 factors. Minnesota ranked 41st (50th being the worst) in 2012, a slight drop from its 37th place slot from 2011. One of the reasons for this poor ranking is Minnesota’s high tax rates. Minnesota has the 12th highest top personal income tax rate in the U.S. (7.85 percent) and the sixth highest top corporate income tax rate (9.8 percent). The state takes in $3,546 in total revenue per capita, ranking it 6th in the nation.

•     Minnesota spends $5,681 per resident, ranking it 24th (from highest to lowest spending) in the nation. Minnesota’s total state debt is between 25 and 30 percent of its gross state product, ranking it 25th among the states (50th being the state the most in debt).

•     The Minnesota state worker pension system is only 80 percent funded. Its state worker health care program is zero percent funded (the national average is eight percent funded). According to Pew, the state has $58.8 billion in liabilities, but is $13 billion short of cash. In each of the years between 2005 and 2010, the state failed to pay its full annual pension contribution.

•     The state drink in Minnesota is milk. The state muffin (yes, there is one) is the blueberry variety.

Minnesota Governors 1999 through 2011

Arne H. Carlson                

January 7, 1991 - -  January 4, 1999                 Independent-Republican/ Republican   

Jesse Ventura

January 4, 1999 - -  January 6, 2003                 Reform/Independence    

Tim Pawlenty                    

January 6, 2003 - -  January 3, 2011                 Republican

The rankings listed in the report above
are what happens
when you DO NOT have a Democrat
in the governors office.

Now we do!
Governor Mark Dayton – Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

And things WILL change

And who gives a damn about ALEC statistics – they are misleading and spurious – twisting the numbers to fit ALEC's conclusions and ALEC policies are creating economic disasters for states that use them.