By Jeff Erding
Wykoff, Minn.
One party has won every statewide election in Minnesota since 2006. This seems like a good time to determine the trajectory of our state by examining a timeline of some key economic and educational indicators.
State spending starting in 2010, three categories. 2010 total budget 43 bil. Welfare spending 9.5 Bil. K-12 education 9.9 Bil. 2018 total budget 45.5 Bil. Welfare 14.4 Bil. K-12 education 12.6 Bil. 2026 total budget 71.4 Bil Welfare 24 Bil. K-12 education 12.6 Bil.
Regarding K-12 education, a number of expensive and underfunded mandates were passed in 2023 including Free Meals, Menstrual products in locker/restrooms [including in the boys], Expanded unemployment insurance, New Ethnic studies, Mandatory student policy adjustments. and Expanded staff training rules.
How are students faring?
According to the National Education Policy Center, overall student achievement in Minnesota has dropped 16 places since 2010 from #5 to #21. That is a big concern.
Crime Rates: Violent crime rose 13.4% from 2014 to 2024. In Minneapolis the number of police officers has dropped from about 850 to 550. Some sources say many crimes are going unreported because there is insufficient staff to investigate. A decade ago downtown Minneapolis was vibrant; property values there have since cratered and dozens of buildings are boarded up, former occupants gone for good.
Let’s examine Business Climate and our rate of growth in five categories compared to other states using two time periods. #1 is from 2007 to 2019. Time period #2 is 2019 to 2026.
Time period 1, Gross Domestic Product #18. Period 2, #23. Period 1 Job Growth, #20. Period 2, #39. Labor Force Growth Period 1, #22. Period 2 #40. Per Capita Income Period 1, #25. Period 2, #33. Median Household Income Period 1, #21. Period 2, #46. The trend is down in every category. [Household income growth at # 46. Ouch.]
Individual tax rates on high income earners: sixth highest in America. Corporate tax rate is the nation’s highest at 9.8%.
We have a recent history of careless and wasteful spending. Here are five examples. Numbers are approximate in Millions.[1] 2017 design and implement a new License Bureau System 220 mil. [2] 2018 renovate Governors mansion [while renting another mansion for $400,000] 13 mil. [3] 2018 Renovate the Goose creek rest area on I35, 7.2 mil. [4] 2023 Renovate State Office Building 730 mil. [5] 2018 DHS improper allocation for drug treatment, 61 mil.
Scams and fraud have become a stupendous problem. [1] 2019 Day care /Medicare scheme, 100 mil. [2] 2020 Feeding our Future and other Medicare/ welfare fraud, how many BILLIONS over the last decade no one seems to know for sure. 5 billion? 9 Billion? We may never know. All investigators can agree on is the fraud is on such a massive scale there is no possibility of prosecuting all the perpetrators for lack of staff. Many of them will go free with millions of our tax dollars. I am not aware of any state employees or elected officials who allocated the fraudulent funds being held accountable.
In conclusion, an honest unbiased examination of the data shows a disturbing trend in the trajectory of our once great state. Citizens in Minnesota deserve better schools, safer streets, honest elections, and accountability for those government officials who squander our hard earned money on wasteful projects and industrial scale fraud.
Wishing you all the best Dear Readers, God Bless until next time, Jeff
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