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House Republicans Unveil Health Care Reform INITIATIVES

SAINT PAUL (December 11, 2007) -- Freedom and Choice. Privacy and Security. No Government Takeover of Health Care. These are the core principles of the health care plan unveiled today by the Minnesota House Republicans.

"Cost containment and affordability are key factors in the debate on health care reform," said House Republican Leader Marty Seifert. "However, free choice and consumer protection of medical data must also be addressed as parallel tracks. Our reform initiatives support consumer freedom and privacy, not a Big Brother single payer system of rationing owned and operated by the government."

Health care is anticipated to be a major topic during the 2008 legislative session. Seifert said he and other members of the House Republican Caucus have traveled throughout their districts, held town meetings, and listened to people's concerns. While many people expressed their concerns with the rising costs of health care and their ability to pay their premiums and afford quality health care, there was much concern over movement toward a government run system.

"Putting people into state and federal subsidized health care is not reform. It is not the cure for the rising costs of health care, nor is it a guarantee that consumers will continued to have access to quality health care," declares Seifert. "They must be engaged in taking responsibility for their own health. Government subsidies can not keep up with cost increases. Either taxes will increase dramatically or services will be rationed and waiting lists will become common if the government becomes the principal payer.

The Republican reform initiatives are steps that are driven by consumers and the marketplace. The initiatives aim to identify solutions that provide more choice and better health while making healthcare more affordable.

"People need to be in charge of their own health. They have been insulated from real decision-making," said Representative Jim Abeler, Republican lead on the Health and Human Services Finance Committee. "And they need to be able to afford their health care. Lasik eye surgery costs have come down over the years because insurance didn't pay and people had to shop around. Quality was maintained and costs dropped. That is success. This debate must focus on empowering consumers with information and freedom to make choices. The health care system is starting to respond, even as the Lasik model has proven it to be possible."

Seifert said the 21stcentury health care system could look much different and be much worse than the system people know today. He said government takeover of individual freedom and responsibility would be a huge step backwards in providing quality, accessible and affordable health care.

"Any reform measure must focus first on the individual and be based on real choices. There is no bona-fide market in health care. For some people health care seems free but we are becoming painfully aware that somebody has to pay," Seifert said. "Increased choice, transparent pricing and shopping consumers will help drive down costs."

Approximately 7.4% of Minnesotans lack health insurance. Approximately one-half of them are already eligible for Minnesota state programs. It is estimated that another one-third would be able to be covered under the Republican plan. It is estimated that the actions outlined by House Republicans will help stop the erosion of those who currently have coverage where increasing costs are driving employers and individuals to discontinue coverage. Industry experts have stated that the uninsured who consistently refuse to accept or who don't need coverage will hover around 2 to 3 percent.

"Reform must ultimately rely on a market solution, not moving people into a state-sponsored program," Seifert said. "There are some individuals who need our help, and we need to help them. However, just enrolling more people does absolutely nothing to reduce the cost of health care. We have to address the disease to prevent the symptoms, and not just keep on giving away Band-Aids."

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HOUSE REPUBLICANS CALL FOR FISCAL RESTRAINT

Seifert Says: "Stop growing government. Start growing jobs."

Saint Paul (November 30, 2007) House Republican Leader Marty Seifert today said the state's $373 million budget deficit demands fiscal restraint and accountability in the upcoming legislative session.

"We need to spur the economy with business development and job growth," said House Republican Leader Marty Seifert. "Government should not grow at a faster rate than the private sector. Government needs to make sacrifices so we don't increase the tax burden on job creators and families. Our financial ground will continue to erode until we acknowledge that we cannot grow government and tax our way to prosperity."

The state's budget forecast reflects the impact of a national economic slowdown that is being largely driven by slower projected economic growth, record high oil prices, an increasingly weak housing market and the resulting tightening on lending.

"Minnesotans across the state are seeing less discretionary income and that has a direct impact on the state's economy," Seifert said. "While businesses, families and farms are looking to tighten their budgets, the Democrats are working on plans to raise their taxes to fuel the growth of government."

Government spending has grown rapidly in the past 10 years. State general fund spending has increased nearly 40 percent in the last 10 years from $24 billion to $34.5 billion.

"Now is not the time to raise taxes. We do not need more money from taxpayers to fund unsustainable growth in government programs. We need to prioritize, cut wasteful government spending and use taxpayer dollars more efficiently," Seifert said.

Seifert said news of a budget deficit presents many challenges to the spending proposals and large bonding bill already being discussed for the next legislative session.

"The state budget should operate like the family budget. When there is less revenue, we spend less money," Seifert said. "The Democrats already spent the $34 billion in the state's budget and squandered away a $2 billion surplus. We simply do not have the money in the checkbook for more spending. The bonding bill must stay within the $965 million threshold and focus on fixing our state's core infrastructure needs. Festivals, theaters and ice rinks come in a distant second to funding for safe roads and bridges.

Seifert said the budget deficit could have been higher if the Democrats tax and spend proposals were all signed into law. Governor Tim Pawlenty line-itemed veto more than $32 million in spending and vetoed a pork-filled bonding bill.

"The Democrats overspent last session and then tried to raise our taxes," Seifert said. "Government doesn't need relief. Minnesotans do. We need to protect the taxpayer pocketbook, not use it as a never-ending cash machine."

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DEMOCRATS TURN A PART-TIME LEGISLATURE INTO A FULL-TIME JOB

Seifert Says: "It's time to cut government."

SAINT PAUL (November 7, 2007) Citing the more than 80 committees, subcommittees, working groups, task forces and commissions in the Minnesota House of Representatives, House Republican Leader Marty Seifert today criticized Democrats for the expansive and expensive growth in government.

"The explosive growth of government shows what happens when Democrats take over," said House Republican Leader Marty Seifert. "The complicated and bloated process is confusing to the public, time consuming and expensive. There is very little to show for the excessive amount of meetings taking place. When all is said and done, there will be a lot more said than done."

Seifert said it is nearly impossible to determine how many groups are working on legislation and how much this process is costing Minnesota taxpayers.

"There seems to be a lot of repetition without reason. We question the necessity of having so many subgroups working on legislation that a standing committee should be able to accomplish on its own and the great number of meetings being held at taxpayer expense to hear about the problems but not bring forward solutions," Seifert said. "The Democrats have turned a part-time citizen legislature into a full-time job."

Seifert said at a time when schools and nursing homes are struggling to make their budgets, House Democrats chose to almost double its operations budget from $324,000 to $646,000 during a House Rules Committee meeting in August.

"We gave schools a mere 3 percent increase for the biennium and nursing homes received even less than that but then gave gigantic increases to the Legislature," Seifert said. This is a matter of priorities. The Democrats ran on fiscal responsibility and leadership. They have failed to demonstrate either during their reign of confusion in the Minnesota House. When House Republicans are in charge, we will restore fiscal sanity by cutting the number of committees by more than 50 percent and returning costs to prior levels."

Seifert said he is most concerned about the upcoming legislative session.

"We have important issues we need to resolve and this process doesnt make me confident that we will achieve those results," Seifert said. "In the private sector, failing businesses are often over managed and under led. The more than 80 House Democrat committees are too busy mopping the floor to take time and turn off the faucet."

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By Representative Marty Seifert

From the start of the legislative session, Governor Tim Pawlenty has been firm in his commitment to veto tax increases. With a $34 billion state budget and a $2.2 billion surplus, we do not need to raise taxes.

Rather than keep faith with their pledge for fiscal moderation, the House Democrats proposed massive tax increases on small businesses, farmers and corporations. Raising taxes to pay for tax relief is not responsible fiscal management. It is an unnecessary false choice that could lead to the greatest disappointment of the legislative session the failure to deliver property tax relief.

The House Democrat tax bill calls for a $450 million income tax increase that will negatively impact 60 percent of small businesses and many working families. It imposes millions in tax increases on some of our states largest employers. We should be encouraging job creators to expand in our state, not drive them away with the highest tax rate in the nation.

The House Democrat tax increase can be summed up in three words: unaffordable, unsustainable and unnecessary. More than $784 million in new taxes is simply not necessary when we are already growing state revenues by nearly 10 percent.

The most unfortunate part of the House Democrat tax bill is that you, the taxpayer, have been left behind. The bill does not provide any property tax relief in 2007. Not one cent. Furthermore, it sends money to counties, cities and school districts rather than providing direct property tax relief to you. There is absolutely no requirement that local units of government return this relief to you, which means there is no guarantee that you will receive any form of property tax relief.

It is time to get real. We are not leaving the legislative session with a tax increase. It is simply not going to happen.

Raising taxes and failing to deliver direct tax relief to homeowners are nonstarters. With less than one month to go in the legislative session, it is too late to start from scratch. We need solutions to the tax burden, and we need them now.

The state has a $34 billion budget, a $2.2 billion surplus and a 9.8 percent increase in state spending. Tax increases are not needed. They are not the only choice to provide tax relief and investments in education, health care and transportation.

Good schools, affordable health care and property tax relief are shared priorities. Republicans and Democrats alike are committed the investing in that which makes Minnesota a great place to live, work and raise a family.

It is time to work together on a solution that balances the budget, invests in our states priorities and provides immediate property tax relief all without a tax increase. House Republicans stand ready to deliver these core basics. We will not look to the taxpayer as a source of revenue but a beneficiary of our investments.

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By Representative Marty Seifert

One third of the tax dollars you pay to the state of Minnesota go to various public assistance programs. That is five times more than the state taxes you pay for public safety efforts.

Minnesota collected $1,559 more in state taxes from each person than South Dakota took from the average person in that state. People paid $1,020 less than you for state taxes in Iowa, $590 less in Wisconsin, and $535 less in North Dakota.

Many of the extra tax dollars you pay go to generous welfare programs that draw welfare pioneers to Minnesota. Sadly, the Democrats are trying to make Minnesota into an even bigger welfare magnet.

Every month, about 10% of the people who apply for Minnesota welfare benefits have moved here from other states or countries. While some Minnesota-born people may need help from welfare programs for a short time, most quickly move back into jobs and independence.

But the newcomers to Minnesota tend to stay on programs much longer. Over the last six years, about 30% of Minnesota welfare recipients have moved to Minnesota within the last five years. That is three times the average monthly welfare sign-up rate for newcomers.

It is crucial to hold the line on welfare programs to keep Minnesota from becoming an even bigger welfare magnet. The Health and Human Services programs account for 29% of the state budget. That is $9.5 billion of spending, or $4,700 per taxpayer. If these programs are not held in check, they could eat the whole budget in a few years.

House Democrats have approved legislation to increase the health and welfare budgets by 19.7% in the next budget, and by a staggering 41.7% in 2010-11.

We cannot afford that kind of growth in welfare programs in the future.

No one can question that work is important for a persons feeling of self-worth. But Democrats have proposed to eliminate or weaken many welfare to work requirements that prod welfare recipients who can work to seek employment every week and find jobs in a reasonable period of time. If Democrats succeed in weakening the work-for-welfare rules, Minnesota will face $26 million in federal fines.

Incredibly, Democrats are even seeking to waive the job search requirement for the first year that immigrants are in America. Our message should be, if you move to Minnesota, be ready to work. It should not be welcome to our state, put up your feet and enjoy the benefits.

Another area where Democrats are inviting massive federal fines rests in opening the door to more welfare recipients with higher eligibility standards while reducing the work requirements for thousands of beneficiaries.

We already have 37,000 families on MFIP (cash and food benefits), another 87,000 families on Food Support alone, plus 15,400 people on General Assistance (cash for adults without children in the house), and 28,840 people on Minnesota Supplemental Aid. We need more taxpayers to pull the government wagon, not more people riding in it.

The Democrats also oppose the Governors requests to increase penalties for welfare abuse, such as shortening the six-month grace period between the time a discrepancy is discovered and benefits are cut off. That would affect about 300 recipients per month.

The Governor will have to veto the Democrats plan to increase human services and health programs by 41.7% in 2010, both because our society cannot sustain such growth in government and because it is not good to discourage work. House Republicans will support this common sense, fiscally responsible approach. We will sustain the Governors veto.

We owe it to the taxpayers and the welfare recipients to make sure that these programs are well managed and encourage people to break the cycle of despair and dependence on government. Self worth, a good work ethic and fiscal responsibility may be old fashioned terms but they are valid values in which we should model our public assistance programs.

Voters Getting Soaked with Tax Proposals by Democrats by Representative Marty Seifert, House Republican Leader

When voters went to the polls last year, there certainly was a sense of change in their minds. Many people were upset about congressional scandals, over-spending, frustration with foreign policy and other various issues. There seemed to be a sense, however, that Democrats were campaigning to hold the line as "new fiscal moderates" for the people of Minnesota, whatever vague and attractive meaning that might have held for the voters.

So November's elections came and went. The voters swept in a large Democrat majority in the legislature, although only by about 4500 votes statewide. However, now the new Democrat-controlled legislature is obsessed with tax increases on you.

All of the following bills are brought to your courtesy of the new Democrat Majority in the legislature: the $1.2 billion income tax increase; three different bills to jack up your sales taxes; a bill to triple the taxes on hearses; a bill to jump up gas taxes by 50%; another big increase in deed taxes; another bill piles up huge increases on alcohol: a 790% increase in beer taxes and 450% increase in wine taxes; there's a proposal to tax gifts and another bill to jack up the taxes on cell phones, land-line phones and other telecommunications devices by 46%; and a bill to impose a 25-cent tax on every incandescent light bulb in the state. There's also bills to increase "fees" on pharmacies, deer hunters, video and electronic equipment sales and more.

Keep in mind, Minnesota has a surplus that exceeds $2 billion. The average family will get nailed by these Democrats tax increases, on top of squandering the entire surplus. Are they really silly enough to believe that the government should grow much, much faster than the income of ordinary families? Do only the "rich" buy gas, own phones, drink a beer or die? All of these things will be taxed much more.

Let me be clear: growing government by any other name is just the same. I'm not interested in renaming taxes as fees or fees as taxes. This has been done by people of both parties in the past and the voters are smart enough to see through it. The government ought to live within its means like a family or business. Period.

The $4 billion of tax increases from Democrats could be divided up in many different ways - if you divide it straight up, it would be well over $1,000 per taxpayer in this fiscal period. It goes up more for couples and families as there are only 5 million people that live in this state. Many are on fixed incomes.

As the new House Republican Leader in the Minnesota House of Representatives, let me assure you that my Republican colleagues and I will fight for the ordinary family and against these gigantic tax increases. The Governor stands with us and we are firm in our belief that the government growth should not outstrip the growth of the family income. We have a surplus and the state government coffers grow daily, due to better jobs, higher incomes, stable employment and fiscal discipline from Governor Pawlenty. There is room to fund education and health care with this money.

This is not about Democrat versus Republican: it's about common sense fiscal management over big tax increases to pay for special interests demanding more and more of your money. Let me assure you that our focus is on key issues that concern working families: controlling taxes, equitable, fair and accountable education funding and health care reform that makes health care more affordable.

The Republican members will fight against the Democrat proposals to allow non-citizens to vote, to let 16-year-olds vote, to smother businesses with regulations and to micro-manage people's lives. We will offer legislation that fosters more freedom, less government, more equitably funded and accountable education and lower property taxes.

If you thought that the Democrats were for the "little guy" or fiscal moderation in the elections last year, I'd suggest you look at all of the proposed tax hikes and silly bills by their membership and then hold them accountable.

Seifert says: "Democrats misled the public with their campaign promises."

SAINT PAUL -- (March 5, 2007) -- Minnesota House Republican Leader Marty Seifert today said Democrats misled the public with their campaign promises of fiscal moderation and tax relief.

"The Democrats campaigned as fiscal moderates but their policies clearly demonstrate their true tax and spend agenda," said Minnesota House Republican Leader Marty Seifert. "We have a $34 billion budget and a budget surplus, There is no need to raise taxes. If the Democrats cannot figure out how to invest in priorities and balance a budget without tax increases, they should not be leading this state."

The Democrat tax proposals before the Minnesota Legislature total more than $1 billion a year. Some of the tax increases include:

Seifert said Democrats made too many campaign promises to win their seats and are now learning they can't pay for them.

:It is easy to make promises and harder to keep them. It is unfortunate that the Democrats are learning that lesson at the taxpayer expense," Seifert said. "With the Democrats in control, Minnesotans will be literally nickel and dimed to death."

Seifert said House Republicans will unveil their budget, which will not raise taxes, by the end of the week.

"Taxing and spending won't solve the problem. Republicans will lead this state with conservative fiscal management, smart spending and a strong savings plan," Seifert said. "We want Minnesotans to keep more of their dollars, nickels and dimes."

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HOUSE REPUBLICANS PUT THE TAXPAYER FIRST

SAINT PAUL (January 22, 2007) House Republican Leader Marty Seifert today called for more tax relief and less government spending in response to Governor Tim Pawlenty's proposed budget recommendations.

"The proposed budget needs help in terms of tax relief and less government spending," said House Republican Leader Marty Seifert. "Tax relief is our number one priority. Minnesota House Republicans will fight for the taxpayer this session and do everything in our ability to increase the amount of tax relief in the final budget."

Seifert said House Republicans have already authored a tax package that would expedite reduction of property taxes and provided needed tax relief to Minnesotans, particularly the middle class.

"Our tax package features immediate relief and permanent reform. It is what Minnesotans have asked for and it is what we as a legislature should deliver," Seifert said. "We will achieve tax relief when we put the taxpayer first. Planning for the final state budget must begin at that basic starting point."

Seifert expressed concerns with the level of spending in the proposed $34.4 billion budget. The budget features a 9.3 percent increase from the previous budget."

"Today's opening bid of a 9.3 percent increase in state spending is too high. We need to make government smaller and more efficient to prevent these near double digit increases in government spending every biennium. The average income of a Minnesota taxpayer is not rising by 9.3 percent. Government spending shouldn"t either."

The House Republican Caucus will release its own budget in the next month.

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GOP Caucus - ww3.house.leg. state .mn.us