The Saint Paul DFL way to exploit a tragedy

SPicy has learned that last week, as part of the 4^th Annual Tom Bakk Golf Scramble, there was a "caucus-like" meeting of elected DFL'ers. One of the issues apparently on the clubhouse table was the probable special session and what should be on the agenda.

SPicy, like so many others, expects lawmakers to come together to find money and good will to deal with the transportation challenges Minnesota faces.  It would be hard to find any lawmaker who would not support this.

Governors get to call special sessions – but legislators take over after that.  And Minnesota lawmakers all have ideas as to what else should be part of the agenda including things like Local Government Aid. 

Saint Paul is still smarting from Governor Pawlenty's veto of the tax bill at the end of the regular session that killed LGA money for the city.  This is one reason Mayor Coleman's new budget will likely include three more years of property tax increases – with the first year apparently being as much as 15 percent.

Legislators and others from Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and other cities have spent all summer looking at ways to get the Governor to call a special session and provide LGA funding to cities to help with budget issues.  The discussion in Tower last week was that Saint Paul could look at potentially getting $11 million as part of an LGA package.

Considering that the current amount is NOTHING - $11 million would seem to be workable. 

SPicy has been told that as legislators discussed the special session, State Senator Mee Moua found it time to make a dramatic announcement.  If Saint Paul does not get $18 million – the full amount that was originally in the formula for the city – than Saint Paul does not want a special session.

SPicy's friend said that Senator Bakk – the host of the golf tournament and only a few votes shy of being senate majority leader – apparently was not amused.  He called Mike Wilhelmi, Mayor Chris Coleman's Director of Intergovernmental Relations, to let him know it would not be a good idea for the Mayor to visit his office.

SPicy readers will remember that it wasn't that long ago that Senator Moua tried to use backroom politics to sneak through a bill that would have let the city raise taxes on bars and restaurants to balance the budget.  3AM chicanery resulted in Bakk having to take the measure out of the bill  

This time Senator Moua's lead balloon landed directly on the Mayor's foot.

After spending time watching how hard people are working together to deal with the tragedy, the clean-up, and the changes we are all going to have to make, SPicy has a few questions.

• Did Saint Paul really think they would be able to hold up a special session all by themselves?
• If so – how arrogant has our city's leadership become at a time when people are demanding cooperation and results from elected leaders.
• When you have a budget that raises taxes for three years, why would play games that could put at risk an opportunity to help city residents?
• Knowing that the DFL's control on the legislature will only get stronger next year, why would you try a power play that obviously infuriated a key leader in the legislature that will be involved in decisions about light rail, future LGA, etc?
• Since Mee Moua apparently likes trying long-shot plays, maybe Mayor Coleman can get her to unveil his budget?