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Nornes, Hoffman want surplus to go to schools
Published 11:13am Thursday, March 1, 2012Local legislators Bud Nornes and Gretchen Hoffman were in agreement on Wednesday after the announcement of a $323 million budget surplus in Minnesota: that money should be used to pay back schools.
In November 2011, the last state budget forecast announced a projected $876 million surplus. Wednesday’s forecast announced an additional surplus brought on by a recovering economy and reduced government spending.
Like the November surplus, however, the February surplus is already spoken for. In the fall, the money repaid the state’s sapped budget reserve accounts. This time around, the money is automatically slated to begin repaying deferred funding to schools – funding that was deferred in order to balance past budgets. The deferments have been increasing over the years, with the latest round coming in July 2011 as part of a deal struck to end the state government shutdown.
However, some lawmakers could try to use the money for something else, save it for a later date or convert it into tax cuts.
“If somebody did try to use it for something else, I would be in opposition to that,” said Senator Hoffman, who noted that it was a “struggle” for her and many other legislators to add to the school deferments last summer.
“There are many of us who want that school shift paid back,” she added.
Currently, the state owes public schools about $2.7 billion from funds it has deferred over several years. About $2.4 billion would remain if the projected surplus goes to the schools.
Though he said he wouldn’t be surprised if a lawmaker or two tries to make a play for the money, Rep. Nornes said he would not likely be in favor of using the funds for a different purpose.
“We should live up to that commitment,” he said.
Though the budget forecast explained that revenue forecasts were up by $93 million more than in November, it noted that more than two-thirds of the budget forecast’s surplus ($230 million) was due to decreased government spending.
“That is vindication for us,” said Hoffman of Republicans who attempted to balance the state’s biennium budget through cuts in 2011. She added, “None of the horrible things happened that everybody predicts.”
Hoffman said she hopes that GOP plans to reduce regulations on businesses and make government spending more efficient will continue to decrease spending and increase revenue going forward.
As for Nornes, he was happy once again that, as in November, many of the doomsayers were wrong about the state budget.
“I’m pleasantly surprised,” he said of the surplus. “We were surprised last November with a positive number, and we were hearing rumors recently that we were sliding backward.”
Good. At least this is a start to pay the schools back.
This is an example of why it is important to read past the headline. If you read only the headline you might get the idea Nornes and Hoffman are suggesting they support doing something noble. But if you read the story you will find paying back schools is a legal REQUIREMENT. They have no choice, unless of course they find a way to skirt the law.
As for Hoffman claiming vindication, I would suggest you can catch carp with a cane pole and a shinny hook in the river below the power plant. Does she think people have forgotten the property tax increases, the money borrowed from schools and the bonds backed by one time tobacco money used to balance the budget? Only the property tax is can be considered part of a “long term” solution.
hoffman is an arrogant repub. She will deny our prop taxes went up. In fact she already denied it in this report by saying no horrible things happened.. if thats the case, then I say everyone whose tax bill increased while our property value decreased as mine did, SHOULD FILE A CLASS action lawsuit against ms hoffman. she can pay the difference.Kick all tea party/repub liars to the curb.VOTE OBAMA AND ALL DEMS 2012
You are so spot on! Not one democrat or even King Obama has ever been caught lying. It is so refreshing to hear someone stand up for the truth not many seem to grasp. Democrats are perfection incarnate.
You sir, have been duped by their brainwashing.
Frizzel Boscoe, ” It is so refreshing to hear someone stand up for the truth not many seem to grasp.” Thank you. You make me blush. Actually, the single biggest reason for the budget surplus, over $100 million of it, was because the anticipated need for medical assistance was over estimated. No one should take credit for a mistake.
Never one to claim credit for yourself where it isn’t due, Eh, Larry?
In case you missed it, which is very likely given the liberal DFL (Dummies for Liberals) lack of humor, Frizzel addressed his sarcastic comment to chuck webers rant.
If chuckie wants to file a class action law suit against legislators who raise or shift burdens of taxes from one to another group of folks, I imagine he will file a suit agin B H Zer0bama and his merry band of fellow Marxists who passed Cap and Trade and Zer0bama Care. Those two alone will push taxes to stratospheric heights. We will need astronauts to soar to the top of the tax money extracted from us in the next decade by Zer0bama. That is, if Zer0bama had not cancelled the astronaut program in NASA so he could shift the funds to other non-productive welfare dolts.
Chuck Weber, what has Obama got to do with this? This article taklks about Minnesota, not federalstats. In case you have not paid attention, since Obama took office, unemployment has soared, home values have plumitted, gas prices have soared, government debt has soared, Most notable of all is our freedom and quality of life have gone to hell in a hand basket.
Name one freedom you have lost because President Obama took office.
Morally, I think it is more than slightly dishonest to hold Obama responsible for most of the expenditures his first year in office. That was the Bush budget with the exception of the $510 billion in additional stimulus spending. (You thought it was more? $265 Billion of it was tax cuts, and what Obama hater can be against tax cuts?)
But more importantly, so much of the health of our economy depends on consumers hope for the future. In so far as there have been very strong voices bad mouthing the economy, a thinking person might surmise, those are the voices of those who are most responsible for prolonging the problems in the economy. But, you certainly are free to say what you wish. My Leader didn’t call people names for disagreeing with Him.