Governor Mark Dayton proposed a $1 billion dollar bonding bill Monday he says will quickly create as many as 28 thousand jobs across the state.
Dayton says the projects listed in his proposal could begin work in time for the 2011 construction season, “Bottom line is Minnesotans are out of work waiting for this bill to put them back to work.”
Among the items on the list are $57 million dollars for a nanotechnology building at the University of Minnesota, $7 million dollars to add capacity at the states sex offender treatment facility, and $20 million dollars for a regional baseball stadium to be built in St.Paul and used by the Saints and others.
Normally, bonding bills occur in even numbered years, but according to Dayton, there is no reason to wait, “It’s a years difference in putting unemployed workers in the state of Minnesotans back to work. This is one of the ways in which the state of Minnesota can impact job creation.”
Republican leadership disagrees. They point to the state’s projected $6 billion dollar deficit and say this is not the time to take on additional debt. According to State Senator Geoff Michel, (R) Edina, “We are not going to get out of the 2011 session with more taxes and more borrowing. Taxing and borrowing cannot be Minnesota’s response to a recession. Taxing and borrowing cannot be Minnesota’s answer to a projected 6 billion dollar budget deficit.”
Republican leadership say they support working to create an atmosphere favorable to private job creation. According to Representative Matt Dean, (R) Dellwood, “What if 3M, what if Medtronic, built it’s next plan in Minnesota rather than in Texas or South Dakota? Those are the conversations we’re having currently, and that’s our emphasis.”
Dayton says he would like to see the bill passed quickly, and says low interest rates and high unemployment make the bill financially prudent, “Those who believe there is no appropriate role for the public sector in making investments to improve our communities, I just frankly disagree.”
