I went to White Bear Lake High School this week to attend one of the legislative budget hearings and was encouraged as many have been by the robust turnout — more than 80 people had signed up to speak — and by the range of thoughtful comments and suggestions offered. I'm always impressed by how knowledgeable, civically healthy and involved Minnesotans continue to be, despite some signs that we might be losing a step on that score.
I was also taken aback by a dark underside of resentment and selfishness that's always there, in any conversation about the role of government. A few nasty, angry moments stood out. As I handed out lapel stickers that encouraged "Invest in Minnesota,'' I got into a conversation with a pinch-faced woman who angrily announced that it was not at all fair to raise taxes on successful people so that their hard-earned money could be "redistributed to people who made bad decisions.''
I saw a T-Shirt emblazoned with the words "Note to Government: Get Your Hand Out of My Pocket.'' And I heard a woman actually testify that budget-cutters had to clamp down on ''80-year-old welfare queens'' who were demanding three warm meals a day and cable TV in their nursing homes, and who had failed to buy long-term care insurance.
It struck me that this was exactly the rhetoric I've heard over the years about criminals in prison. And then, I thought, aren't we lucky to have income and net worth to show who made good and bad decisions in their lives?
— Dane Smith
P.S. For info on more hearings and how you can help with the Invest in Minnesota campaign, check out investinmn.org
And I hear the same types of comments about the evil rich and greedy capitalists, who just happen to be creating all this wealth that is being "invested" and redistributed. Complaining about such comments is merely a smokescreen for the real issue.
Who's going to make choices about an individual's life -- that individual or the government.
Posted by: Craig Westover | February 28, 2009 at 08:36 AM