In a letter to the editor of the Park Rapids Enterprise, Dayton busy playing politics, Jon Clauer [elsewhere John Clauer] writes:
Thank you for your front-page article on Governor Dayton’s pocket veto of the tax cut bill. . .
It is worth noting that the tax bill was the work of a bipartisan effort (in which Rep. Steve Green played a significant part) of both Republicans and Democrats. It was my understanding that the wording error in the bill could have been corrected by an administrative action by the Legislature. Despite this fact, Governor Dayton chose to use that excuse as a reason to hold the bill hostage to his personal (and DFL) wishes for a larger debt-ridden bonding bill. . . .
We find the claim that Representative Steve Green, R-Fosston, played a "significant part" in the effort to craft a tax bill to be significantly peculiar. Green doesn't have a seat on Chair Greg Davids' Tax Committee or Draz's property tax committee.
Green was not one of the House members appointed to the conference committee for HF848 (see March 8, 2016 list of appoints here) nor was he author of any significant separate bill that was heard in a tax committee, as far as we can determine.
Green is Vice-Chair of the Greater Minnesota Economic and Workforce Development Policy and sits on the
Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance and Legacy Funding Finance committees.
He did hold a listening session about property taxes in early 2015 that Drazkowski attended, one of many held across the state by the committee chair (Bluestem readers may remember reading about the kerfuffle over whether these were official meetings or not in After House floor transparency tussle, Draz's tax listening sessions now official meetings.
In Residents talk taxes at forum, we learn that the letter writer was there:
Then there’s John Clauer, a Park Rapids retiree.
Throughout his military career, Clauer said he lived in two dozen locations.
“We should make it equitable but Minnesota’s property taxes are the lowest” of all of his residencies, Clauer said.
Clauer is also a published author; his 2015 book, “God’s Chessboard.” explores God’s guidance of history and plan for an end-of-days.
Perhaps Clauer knows something we don't. Could Green be the "invisible hand" of the Minnesota state legislature-- that unobservable force that helps the conflicting demands of caucuses, special interests, stakeholders and citizens to reach equilibrium automatically?
We'll keep an eye out for evidence Green has put his pinkie on the scale. Maybe the LTE writer was thinking of the district's state senator, Rod Skoe, DFL-Clearbrook, who chairs the Senate Tax committee.
Photo: Steve Green at one of Draz's 2015 property tax town halls. Via Park Rapids Enterprise.
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Governor Dayton was correct in vetoing the bill. This could not be rectified by a letter from the tax chairs or house speaker and senate majority leader. In Minnesota the law is as the law reads, legislative intent does not play a part.
Posted by: Larry howes | Jun 20, 2016 at 12:55 PM