MN AFL-CIO Presents “3 Steps to a Better Minnesota” for the Session
With more than 200,000 Minnesotans out of work and a state revenue crisis threatening everyone’s quality of life, the Minnesota AFL-CIO is calling on lawmakers to address the state’s problems head on.
The labor federation’s “Three Steps to a Better Minnesota” provides lawmakers a roadmap to address those problems.
“While we face many challenges as a state, there is an opportunity to build a better Minnesota for everyone,” said Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson. “We can create new, family-sustaining jobs in the private sector, while balancing the budget and making taxes fairer for middle class Minnesotans.”
Step 1: Create Family Sustaining Jobs Now
While Minnesota is better off overall than many areas of the country in our overall unemployment rate, our construction sector is lagging behind with nearly 20 percent of workers in the building trades unable to find work. State Economist Tom Stinson said construction workers have taken the hardest hit out of everybody in this recession.
A billion dollar jobs and infrastructure bill targeting shovel-ready projects, for example, would quickly put 27,000 Minnesotans back to work in private sector jobs.
"Both Governor Dayton and Legislative Leaders have said job creation is their number one priority. But it must be more than “trickle down jobs” in some unnamed future," said Minnesota AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Steve Hunter. "Minnesotans need jobs now; jobs that can support a family."
Step 2: Balance the Budget Fairly
With a $6 billion dollar revenue shortfall, everyone agrees there are no longer easy solutions to the state budget.
“If we want our kids to attend the best public schools in the nation, have a highly-skilled workforce that attracts business, efficient public services, and safe infrastructure; we cannot continue this current course,” Knutson said.
The Minnesota AFL-CIO is advocating for fairly-raised revenue as part of a budget solution.
“The richest Minnesotans pay less than 9 percent of their household income in state and local taxes while the average working family pays more than 12 percent,” she added. “If lawmakers want to balance this budget without hurting every Minnesotan’s quality of life, there must be new revenue, and it must come from those who have benefitted most, the rich.”
Step 3: Stay Focused
With so many people out of work and a budget crisis of this magnitude; the Minnesota AFL-CIO is urging our leaders to stay focused on what Minnesotans elected them to do.
Added Hunter, “Now is not the time to focus on divisive social issues, settling political scores, or scoring political points for the next election. It’s time to do what is best for Minnesotans.”