February 28, 2008
It was a difficult situation. We had been directed by our members to make progress on transportation funding. Through our member surveys, a separate business community survey, and three rounds of member meetings across the state, the consensus message had been clear: Get something done on transportation.
The Minnesota Chamber is not an organization that races to the Capitol asking to raise our taxes. To get something done we would need to break the gridlock of the all-or-nothing approach that has stifled investment in Minnesota's transportation infrastructure for nearly 20 years. We developed and put forward a plan. Then we dived into the Legislative process. As this bill began to emerge, it was clear it would have strong support in both houses of the Legislature.
We worked it hard. We insisted on changes. We pared it down dramatically. Provisions that would have indexed the gas tax to inflation were removed. We cut the metro sales tax in half. We made sure we didn't add to the bureaucracy. We made sure "efficiencies" in existing spending were included as a source of funding. When we had achieved all that we thought we could... we had to make an extremely difficult decision.
We decided to endorse the bill. To call it a difficult decision is an understatement. It was not only difficult for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce members and our Board of Directors, but also for me personally.
When Governor Pawlenty vetoed the bill, our position became even more uncomfortable. We have supported Governor Pawlenty on most issues, and we had certainly supported him on every single one of his prior vetoes. In this case, we have agreed with the Pawlenty Administration that transportation is a priority need, but we have respectfully disagreed on how to finance those improvements.
Our commitment to our members was to make progress on transportation funding. You know the result.
We do not regret our decision, or our support of this bill. We are confident this investment will further strengthen the economic security of Minnesota, its citizens and businesses.
Our next step is to ensure that the money appropriated to the Minnesota Department of Transportation is spent efficiently. Our members want assurances that their tax dollars are producing the greatest bang for the buck, and that our current and new investments in Minnesota's transportation infrastructure are being spent as effectively as possible. We are going to insist on it.
You can also be confident the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce will continue to represent our members with integrity and commitment at the Capitol. We will continue to oppose general fund tax increases aimed at balancing the budget, as we have successfully for years, especially in these tenuous times for the economy. We will continue to advance a statewide business plan for health care reform. We will continue to work to address the environmental and energy regulations placed on businesses. We continue to provide hands-on, business-by-business assistance through our Grow Minnesota! program to ensure continued job growth and success in Minnesota. And we will continue to work to ensure that the improvements we have agreed to fund in our transportation infrastructure will make Minnesota a better place to live and work.
We appreciate your continued support.
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