By Robin Brown

As a mom and a teacher, I admit I have high expectations for those around me. And I admit that I expect great things from our elected officials.

I had the opportunity to watch the Chamber of Commerce debate Saturday morning and I was disappointed to see Rich Murray playing the same old political games he was playing the year he got elected.

During the 2010 campaign for state representative, Rich Murray made a number of promises. The promises could be found on his website, in his campaign literature, in completed questionnaires and heard during debates.

Murray’s promises as a candidate in 2010 and his claims of success for his first term in office have swerved way off the path of reality. Let’s take a look.

 

Promises vs. reality:

1. Promise: Solve our budget crisis. Reality: The state of Minnesota still has a multi-billion dollar deficit. They borrowed $2.4 billion from local public schools in order to ‘balance’ the state budget with smoke and mirrors. In addition, there is a projected state budget deficit of over $1 billion next year. Rich Murray claims government should be run like a business. Is this how Rich Murray runs a business? Is this how families balance their checkbooks — by not paying their bills?

2. Promise: Against metro bias. Reality: Rich Murray has voted with the metro Republican majority 97 percent of the time the last two years. In one of the few times Rich Murray voted for southern Minnesota, the JobZ vote, he actually voted with the GOP metro majority first, and just at the last minute, changed his vote. Didn’t he know where he stood on JobZ? Or was he simply waiting for metro leadership to let him off the hook?

3. Promise: Fair funding for schools, roads and nursing homes. Fact: State funding is not fair and equitable for schools. Metro schools receive more state aid per pupil than outstate schools in the areas of compensatory revenue and higher than average operating levies. Committees have studied fair school finance for years. Has our current representative educated himself with such studies? Has he brought forward any legislation that would overhaul the current education funding formula?

4. Promise: Supports early childhood education for all children. Fact: State aid for early childhood education programs has not increased in Minnesota. The state does not provide full funding for all day everyday kindergarten. One has to move to Iowa to receive full funding for all day everyday kindergarten and universal pre-school for 4 year olds.

5. Promise: Doesn’t believe raising taxes in the answer. Fact: Rich Murray’s votes resulted in an increase in local property taxes.

6. Promise: Supports fair funding for roads. Fact: Funding for roads and bridges did not change over the past two years. Where is the evidence that Rich Murray has done anything to improve fair funding across the state or, more specifically, in our district?

 

Rich Murray earns a solid “F” as a legislator based on his misleading claims and his past performance.

We need a representative that is honest, forthright and strong. This is why I am voting for Shannon Savick. Representation not politics — that’s Shannon Savick.

 

Former DFL state Rep. Robin Brown resides at 27667 Mower-Freeborn Road in Moscow Township.