Monday, January 7, 2013
Former DFL candidate Brian Barnes said Rep. Erik Paulsen has a 'repeated record of failure when it comes to true bipartisanship and problem solving.'
As a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, I learned to live by a simple creed “Acta Non Verba,” or Deeds not Words. Too often, we see few deeds and far too many words coming out of Washington. It seems to take a crisis before anyone in Congress will lift a finger, except to point it at the other side. Having barely avoided the Fiscal Cliff, many politicians want to hide their career-long failures by posturing--proudly standing up, pounding their chests with conviction, and talking about the broken ways of Washington. They express outrage, frustration, and contempt. They blame others and complain. The Fiscal Cliff was avoidable. Both the House and the Senate had more than a year to settle the issue. Yet, ultimately, these career …
U.S. Congressman Erik Paulsen voted against passage of last week's "fiscal cliff" bill and says it is "unconscionable" that deal included hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies to special interest industries.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Monday, January 7
by Erik Paulsen Congress has a history of engaging in short term fixes instead of embracing long term solutions. It's one of my biggest frustrations and reasons there is uncertainty in the economy. The final fiscal cliff deal failed to bring any meaningful solution to reform spending or reduce the budget deficit. Ironically, it increases the deficit by $4 trillion. Instead, the deal postponed automatic spending cuts for two months that were supposed to begin in January, so in February we will have a new budget cliff to deal with. It's also unconscionable that this deal included hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies to special interest industries like Hollywood, NASCAR, and Puerto Rican rum producers, but did not …
Friday, January 4, 2013
The most thoughtful, moving, controversial or just plain funny comments from around the west metro between Dec. 28 and Jan. 3.
Each week, Patch users contribute numerous insights, opinions and observations. The following is a collection of the most thoughtful, moving, controversial or just plain funny comments that appeared on Patch sites in Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Richfield, Shakopee, Plymouth, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. Click on the headline to read the full story and join in the conversation. (The comments below are not meant to reflect the opinions of Patch or its staff.) *** Residents Learn About Law Enforcement Through Police Academy Beginning Jan. 29, every Tuesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. the Golden Valley Police Department will host the Citizen's Police Academy where residents can learn about SWAT teams, canine units…
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Congressman Erik Paulsen's 'no' vote based on lack of "long-term solution to cut spending and fundamentally reform our outdated tax code."
Representative Erik Paulsen (MN-03) released the following statement after voting against the Senate deal regarding the fiscal cliff: “When I first ran for Congress, I said that Washington was broken," Paulsen wrote. "Unfortunately, that is still the case. The Senate deal fails to bring any meaningful solution to reign in government spending or reduce the budget deficit. At a time when Washington borrows 46 cents on every dollar it spends, we need a long term solution to cut spending and fundamentally reform our outdated tax code." Paulsen currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus. He represents several area communities, including the Lake Minnetonka area, Maple …
Friday, December 21, 2012
"$2,200 is 44 tanks of gas that get you to and from work, or the difference between having the money to fix a broken water heater in the winter, or not."
- OPINION
-
Friday, December 21, 2012
By David Wellstone Minnesota is known for a lot of things: our winters, our ‘niceness,’ our strong work ethic and hardworking people, and especially for our belief in fairness and opportunity for all. As I visited Minnetonka last week for a round table discussion on the fiscal cliff it was clear once again that those values remain strong and should guide Rep. Paulsen’s stance: We cannot provide additional tax breaks for the rich on the backs of the middle class. Minnesota is a place where we have always prided ourselves on building a strong middle class. It’s one of the things that my father fought for, and it is part of our strong tradition of coming together and truly understanding that we all do better, when we all do better. But it’s …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The Mayans may or may not have predicted the apocalypse will occur on Dec. 21. Do you buy it?
Time for another Patch poll, and it's simple this time: Do you expect the world to end on Dec. 21, 2012? There's apparently an apocalypse coming. Seriously, though, even NASA is getting in on the action. The agency created a page on its website devoted to debunking the Mayan apocalypse idea—not least because the Mayans never predicted any such thing. The date is simply the end of one time period that simply starts over. “Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012,” NASA wrote. There have been several predictions of the end of the world, including the May 21, 2011 biblical prediction by then 89-year-old old "minister" Howard Camping. But…
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Attendees will discuss taking action to show that they want Congress to act now in extending middle-class tax relief and allow cuts for the wealthiest two percent to expire. The roundtable discussion begins at 1 p.m. at Caribou Coffee.
Today, Thursday, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m., David Wellstone will join Minnesotans from the third congressional district to discuss the place for Minnesota values in the fiscal cliff negotiations and the state’s history of standing with middle-class families. As the fiscal cliff draws nearer, Rep. Paulsen continues to hold up the tax relief for middle-class families in order to protect additional tax breaks for the rich, according to The Action. Wellstone and attendees will discuss taking action to show that they want Congress to act now in extending middle-class tax relief and allow the additional cuts for the wealthiest two percent of Americans to expire. The roundtable discussion begins at 1 p.m. at the Caribou Coffee located at 4754 County Road…
Monday, November 19, 2012
United States Congressman Erik Paulsen: "My top priorities are to stop the tax hikes set to take place on Jan. 1 and pass comprehensive tax reform so we can grow our economy and bring in more revenue to help get Washington’s fiscal house in order."
- NEWS
-
Monday, November 19, 2012
Working Across the Aisle to Avert the Jobs Cliff There’s been a lot of talk in the news recently about the upcoming “fiscal cliff”—something I’ve been sounding the alarm bells about for months. Under current law, taxes are scheduled to increase on Jan. 1 for all Americans unless Congress takes action. This would be a significant hit to the economy, which is why I refer to it as a “jobs cliff.” There’s also a series of automatic spending cuts that will be imposed at year's end that many say should be altered to be more strategically targeted rather than simply imposed across the board. My top priorities are to stop the tax hikes set to take place on Jan. 1 and pass comprehensive tax reform so we can grow our economy and bring in more …
stephanie perron
9:44 am on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Thank you Mr. Barnes for being the voice on this. I too was thinking the same thing, and sent his office a letter voice my concerns on his leadership. more ›