The beatings will continue until morale improves!

Or at least the taxing will... if Minnesota State Senator Tarryl Clark has her way:

October marks fourth straight month of job losses in Minnesota

On Tuesday, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced Minnesota lost 6,600 jobs in October, the fourth consecutive month of job losses in the state. According to DEED, these new figures reveal that between July and October, Minnesota lost nearly 27,000 jobs.

“Minnesota’s economy continues to struggle, but the governor refuses to do his part to lend a hand,” said Senate Assistant Majority Leader Tarryl Clark, DFL-St. Cloud. “Each month, Minnesotans are seeing more and more job opportunities disappear. It is imperative that we do whatever we can to jumpstart our state’s economy.”

While this most recent report is particularly troubling, economists in the state are pointing to an even more disturbing long-term trend: Minnesota has fallen behind the rest of the nation in terms of job creation and wage growth.

Over the past 12 months, Minnesota has only grown 2,800 jobs, or a gain of .1 percent. Meanwhile, the nation has experienced a 1.2 percent job gain during the same time period. In 2006, Minnesota fell to 46th in per capita personal income growth, after ranking 5th in the country during the 1990s.

“The governor has opposed the Legislature’s attempt to help create jobs,” said Sen. Clark. “He vetoed the bonding and tax bills, which would have brought thousands of new jobs to the state. He also opposed long-term investments in transportation and education that are critical to starting an economic revival. The transportation bill itself would have created 60,000 jobs.”

Sen. Clark said the Legislature must focus on passing a new bonding bill, a transportation finance package to fix the state’s roads and bridges, as well as a new tax bill aimed at spurring job growth and reducing property taxes soon. Many other strategies to promote growth in the emerging bioscience and renewable-energy industries should be examined, according to Sen. Clark.

“It is not enough to sit back and hope Minnesota’s economy will improve,” said Sen. Clark. “In 2008, the Legislature will again put forward a real vision for improving Minnesota’s economy. We hope the governor will follow our lead in helping to create and retain jobs in our state.

So, Ms. Clark... you will again put forward a real vision??

Just wondering...Is this part of the "vision" you had in mind, Senator?:

Minn. Senate votes to raise income taxes on highest-paid

by Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio

March 31, 2007

The Minnesota Senate has approved a nearly $1 billion income tax increase that would make the state's top bracket the highest in the nation. Lawmakers voted 35 to 29 Saturday to pass the DFL-backed measure which also provides funding for public schools, early childhood education and state colleges and universities.

Yeah.. that'll create jobs Tarryl.


Heh. Some vision.

A regular Miss Cleo, you are.

(h/t Gary Gross)