What do a district court judge, rural Adams corn grower and a 77-year-old man who wants to return to high school have in common?

State Sen. Dan Sparks.

The freshman DFL senator from Austin fielded a variety of questions Saturday morning at his first town meeting in Austin since being elected.

District Court Judge Donald E. Rysavy inquired about the impact of layoffs on the criminal justice system.

Gaylen Bergstrom, rural Adams, wanted to know why the ethanol subsidies are gone.

LaVerne Ney and his daughter, Jennifer, wanted to know about veterans' issues.

Sparks faced similar questions Saturday afternoon, when he hosted another town meeting in Adams.

Sparks and other DFLers are spending a month on the road, when the Minnesota Legislature is not in session, holding town meetings across Minnesota. The purpose, according to Sparks, is to gain citizens' input on the financial crisis facing the state.

First there was unallotment and the $186 million in cuts that Gov. Tim Pawlenty had to make to balance the current budget before June 30.

Then came the Republican governor's budget proposal and another round of financial gloom and doom adding up to $4.2 billion in deficits that must be offset.

"Governor Pawlenty has painted himself into a corner with his campaign pledge of no new taxes," Sparks said.

If Local Government Aid and other state aids are reduced, the ability of local governments to continue to fund programs and services is greatly hampered, Sparks said.

"I think in these tough times we are all willing to do our share, but we want to do it proportionately," the freshman senator said.

One by one, the citizens and agency representatives told the senator of their worries.

Sparks heard a proposal to tax food.

He heard a woman's complaints that illegal immigrants aren't "paying their fair share of taxes" and rebuttal from, among others, Rysavy.

He heard Tori Miller, director of the Crime Victims Resource Center, express concerns that spending cutbacks could cause that service to end.

Sparks said he is not opposed to raising taxes, but the only tax increase being discussed by Democrats at this time is a "small gas tax hike."

Lee Bonorden can be reached at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com