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Forum: Current Events Topic: Should we pay our State Reps. for performance. started by: Alfy Packer Posted by Alfy Packer on Jun. 24 2005,8:09 am
Dick Day sent me a letter the other day. You know the type, it starts out real personal. "Dear Alfy" bla bla bla. It goes on to list all kinds of accomplishments and then switches over to tell the reader how all of this is in jeopardy. To shorten up this tail, the reciever of a piece of this mass mail only needs to look for the card that requires the reader to mark yes to an important question and state how much money he is willing to send in to show his support.Well dam it Dick, I'm just going to have to say NO to that important guestion. In fact if we were to apply the standards of Mert Pay to what the Govener and legislature have accomplished so far this year, y'all should be sending me money. Get off your ideological ass and get a budget past. Otherwise I will be sending my money to someone who will change the leadership up there. Posted by Mamma on Jun. 24 2005,9:57 am
I have to agree with you Alfy. When I worked for a large corporation, didn't finish my work, and had to stay to get it done, I wasn't paid extra to do it. The were paid to do a job and didn't get it done. Should we then, turn around and give them more money to get it done? I don't think so.
Posted by Madd Max on Jun. 24 2005,11:50 am
Special Session should not Burden Taxpayers It’s mid-June: the season of graduations, barbecues, summer vacations and—in recent years—special legislative sessions. While most people are beginning to think about summer plans, lawmakers in St. Paul are still chipping away at the task of crafting Minnesota’s budget for the next two years. Citizens are understandably becoming frustrated with this constant need for overtime. “Why can’t you get your work done on time?” is the question I’ve heard most often since the regular session ended three weeks ago. To someone who has been immersed in the day-to-day Capitol business since January, I am not ready to give up on issues such as education that we’ve spent the past five months defending. But I cannot blame the people who elected us for simply wanting an end to the political back-and-forth. While I cannot single-handedly bring an end to the special session, I can make sure I am responsible about how we complete our work. I have decided not to take a paycheck for any additional time I have put in since the end of regular session on May 23. Legislators have an option of collecting daily per diem during special session, but I do not believe it is wise to ask you or any other Minnesota taxpayer to compensate us for needing extra time. I will continue to work hard to finish this session, but I certainly will not do it at the expense of Minnesota taxpayers. In the meantime, I expect to press on toward finishing our work before the end of June. I am a member of the education working group, which is meeting regularly to find a plan to sufficiently fund education for the next two years. The full House and Senate also continue to meet in floor sessions twice a week, and between these meetings House and Senate leaders persist in negotiations with each other and Governor Pawlenty..... This news letter was on Sen. Dan Sparks’s site at the Minnesota State Senate web site. After checking the House web site I was unable to find anything were Rep Dorman has said anything about foregoing his pay for the special session. I for one would like to say thank you to Senator Sparks! Posted by ALopinions on Jun. 24 2005,2:54 pm
Amen, Thank you Sen. Sparks!
Posted by TameThaTane on Jun. 24 2005,6:16 pm
I think some words of wisdom from the cable guy is in order here.Just gitter done! Posted by repdan on Jun. 24 2005,7:06 pm
I think so far 4 days. I wonder if Sen Sparks is going to take his housing allowance which Senators can take all year? FYI, the per diem which he is not taking is not going back to the general fund. It will add more $$ to the opertional budget of the Senate. Meaning they will have more money for out of state travel, staff...... I wonder if he is going to use his campaign funds to pay the cost which is allowable and since we took public financing at least part of these dollars would have come from the taxpayer.I think about half the members take per diem in the special. Mamma, can you tell me what I could have done or what work you think I have left undone? At $66 per day, I can assure you that it costs me money to leave my store for a day. Posted by ICU812 on Jun. 24 2005,9:48 pm
At $66 per day, I can assure you that it costs me money to leave my store for a day.Bull, I thought you were a card player. You know as well as I do you are salaried, if anything you make 66 bucks more a day. If you were writing orders and running the wrenches I would agree. Posted by repdan on Jun. 24 2005,10:46 pm
So the extra payroll when I'm gone comes from where?
Posted by GEOKARJO on Jun. 24 2005,11:03 pm
I think Dan does a fine job representing us up there and never real hear him complain until someone complains to him. I see he his not happy with the extra time he is gonna have to put in I am sure he has to rearrange some long term plans. That is the real world. Manufactures and construction companies miss deadlines and are fined by the people footing the bill. So if the legislature isn't getting anymore money out of it. They will hopefully pull together and get the work done.So tell us Dan what is the division about and on which bills. They didn't waste anytime on the smoking ban. I am glad that died in the committee. I understand that they just passed an work place ordinance a couple years back. It alone made some places in town smokefree that had not previously been. Such as the food court in the Mall. Dan you have to agree this tobacco settlement money is being misused. It was to educate and prevent youth smoking. As far as the tobacco Ban goes............ Dan would you consider proposing that the age to purchase cigarettes be raised to 21. Dan would you also consider proposing that as far as Bars eating establishment go, No one under 21 is allowed in an establishment that allows smoking. A warning sign on the door should be good enough for anyone over 21. Posted by Botto 82 on Jun. 24 2005,11:19 pm
Dick Day is a moron. He'd rather rally around a non-Steele County issue like ramp meters than look out for his constituents, and I've heard that from a number of Owatonnans. Yeah, one day, ol' Dick got hung up in rush hour traffic or somesuch, couldn't use the HOV lane because he was alone, and the next thing you know he's on some Crusade. Maybe he should stay focused on the people that elected him. Posted by Alfy Packer on Jun. 26 2005,8:12 pm
I know some who call Dick the Village Idiot. I don't know him well enough to have my own opinion on that, but I do think that the state is suffering from very poor leadership, and he is one who is in a leadership role at the State Senate. I furthermore think it is past the time for him to start exercising that leadership. It is definately not the time to come around with his hand out asking for money to be use to support this continued lack of leadership. If he is not part of something positive happening with the budget soon, I will double the maximum amount he is looking for and send it to anyone who opposes him in the next election.RepDan, I think it took guts to stand up to the leadership earlier in the session. I don't know that at this time breaking ranks will be of any help but you guys have to start putting pressure on the leadership to get this dam thing moving. |