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| Kath talks bonding bill, racino at town hall meeting |
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Posted: Monday, March 8, 2010 3:34 pm
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Rep. Kory Kath, right, talks to Pete Fog and Mel Strand at Saturday's town hall meeting at Waseca City Hall. Kath, the only DFLer to vote against the state's bonding bill, explained the reasons behind his vote.
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By RUTH ANN HAGER
Staff Writer
WASECA — Rep. Kory Kath has not formally announced his plans to run for another term in the Minnesota House of Representatives but he said that is his intention. He will face Republican nominee Brandon Pofahl in November.
Asked what his strategy for re-election is, the Owatonna Democrat said, right now, it is simply “doing my job.”
“I want to do the best job I can to represent the people of 26A,” he said.
Kath said his commitment is to his district rather than to his party.
“If we’re ever going to get anything done, we have to concentrate on our communities, not on party line,” he said.
Each time a bill comes up for a vote, Kath said he calls four or five people in his district who would be impacted by the bill.
“I vote my district,” he said.
Kath was in Waseca Saturday to talk about the legislative session that began Feb. 2 and to hand out surveys on current state issues to about a dozen people who came to city hall to hear him.
The first two items to come up for votes — General Assistant Medical Care (GAMC) and the bonding bill — benefited from work done by individual legislators prior to the start of the session.
GAMC funding was approved by a 125-9 vote in the House but was vetoed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Late last week, the governor and legislative leaders reached an agreement that replaces GAMC but continues to provide health care to the state’s low income population while cutting payments to hospitals, clinics, doctors and dentists.
A solution was found to the GAMC stand off when the parties “came to a compromise, reached an agreement and moved forward.”
Kath was the only member of the DFL caucus to vote against the bonding bill.
“It was over $1 billion and included projects I couldn’t support, such as volleyball courts and a sculpture garden,” he said. Kath said “severe cuts” will be made in the bill, which now includes the Moose Lake Sex Offender Treatment Facility that the governor wants. Kath expects the bill to come back for a vote in the next couple of weeks because legislators want to be ready for the upcoming construction season.
Despite the decrease in the February forecast that projects a deficit of $209 million less than expected, Kath said, the governor’s budget balancing proposal includes cuts to Health and Human Services and Local Government Aid.
Kath said “some cuts will be made” to LGA and “certain clientele won’t be eligible” for county programs.
“It pains me when people say LGA is not needed. It may need to be refined and re-structured, but to say those small communities don’t matter ... we’re kidding ourselves.”
LGA impacts cities “very uniquely,” he said.
He expects the first round of cuts to be proposed in the next two or three weeks.
The chief author of 16 bills this session, Kath talked about two of them. The first would require ethics training for home health aides and another would authorize qualified people with medical training to take blood samples from DWI offenders so that the samples would stand up in court.
Minnesota is out of the running for the first round of federal education money under “Race to the Top” but the state will apply again in the second round, according to Kath. While educators were not involved in the first application, Kath said he wants both educators and parents to be involved in the second round.
Former Waseca teacher Les Tlougan said there were bad feelings because the governor “blamed teachers” that Minnesota’s application failed.
“I’m dismayed by that. I hope he’s trying to open his arms rather than crossing them and standing in the corner,” Kath said.
He asked people to take surveys for themselves and their families. Legislators will have to look at revenue as well as cuts, Kath said, and he is asking constituents to weigh in on taxes and fees.
“It’s crazy that the Legacy funding passed. People voted in a tax on themselves,” he said. “People knew where the money was going and it passed.”
Saying the racino proposal could provide the state with $125 million a year, Kath asked the audience if they are “anti-Racino.”
Diane Wendland replied, “You can’t legislate morality. People will always gamble.” Minnesota should keep some of that gambling money here, she said.
Other questions concerned the state’s tobacco money, the jobs bill, a Vikings stadium, city sales tax, school funding and stimulus money.
Kath said every stimulus dollar spent in Minnesota is accounted for and the level of transparency gives people faith that those dollars were well spent.
“I hope when the jobs bill comes to the state we can show that same transparency.”
He is trying to be very fiscally responsible, which means he has to say “no” to a lot of projects, said Kath. But that doesn’t mean he won’t support a bonding bill, it just needs to be focused, he said.
“We’ll have to pare it down to what the governor will sign.”
Overall, getting something that is “signable” is difficult and must fit the priorities of the economy and the constituents, Kath said.
He asked people to stay in touch by phone or e-mail and to complete his surveys.
“When I am making those decisions, I can say I have heard from my community members,” he said.
Ruth Ann Hager is at 507- 837-5446 or rhager@wasecacountynews.com.
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Member Opinions:
By: jonmiller on 3/19/10
i take that back, after listening to him on tv. I don't think i'd switch my vote even if a good independent came along. I really like Kath. Its very refreshing to see.
By: jonmiller on 3/11/10
I have to say i like Kath. Unless a really good independent comes along he has my vote. I hope all parties keeps this campaign clean and no negative adds, stick to the issues. Keep up the good work Mr. Kath.
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