The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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March 9, 2010

Your View: State need progressive ideas

By Howard Herbst, Minnesota Lake

MINNESOTA LAKE — In a recent letter to the editor, Dave Kruse, a candidate for Minnesota House of Representatives, noted that “...between 2002 and 2009, Minnesota lost 54,113 residents to other states.”

That time period almost exactly corresponds with the tenure of Tim Pawlenty as governor. This is certainly no coincidence.

For decades Minnesota attracted businesses with high-paying jobs, because of the quality of life in Minnesota, our great education system, our sound infrastructure and the quality of our health care. That this changed with the Pawlenty policies should have come as no surprise. Kruse’s response to this situation seems to be to call for more of the same.

The Minnesota Miracle was no accident. It required the bold, progressive actions of strong leaders of both parties who demonstrated foresight and had the courage to direct the state’s resources toward the common good. Minnesota needs leaders of such courage and foresight today, not naysayers who reject every new and progressive idea.

Can we afford to take such action? The years of the Pawlenty regime shows we cannot afford to do otherwise. Kruse’s statistics prove that.



 

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