Clearly, the recession is already too long and sustained to avoid budget cuts. But if we really have our eye on the future, it’s short-sighted and disingenuous to take other options off the table, including significant changes to the way government operates, and revenue increases to close the gap. No state leader in Minnesota history faced with a deficit of this magnitude has balanced the budget without new revenue as part of the solution, whether they called it a tax, fee, surcharge, fine, or passing the burden onto local units of government by way of higher property taxes.

Lawmakers have a responsibility to do more than simply get the budget back in the black.  We also have an obligation to lay the groundwork for an economic recovery that will lead to a stronger and more prosperous Minnesota.  That means making sure our schools are equipped to produce highly skilled workers, tuition is affordable, our transportation and infrastructure systems are sound, and our energy policies will reduce our reliance on foreign oil and create new jobs.

The choices we make now will determine how Minnesotans live and work in years to come, and they rightly should have a say. In addition to bringing in business leaders, government officials and workers at every level, economists and educators, we need to hear from those who will be affected by the decisions we make.  The Minnesota House of Representatives has set up a webpage so you can have a say in how we confront Minnesota’s projected budget deficit.  Visit it now at http://www.house.mn/ to share your ideas.  And as the Governor prepares his budget, we’ll be taking his proposals to every corner of the state to hear from Minnesotans.

This is difficult and serious situation, brought on by the worst economy our nation has seen in since World War II. But Minnesotans are no strangers to difficult challenges. In the 1980’s Minnesota lost more than 100,000 jobs – many in Northern Minnesota - during one of the worst recessions in our nation’s history. State leaders then took a long view, making decisions that allowed us to recover and perform better than we had before.  Now Minnesotans are counting on us to do it again.

Duluth News Tribune - Wednesday October 22, 2008

Our View: For Minnesota House 5B, re-elect Sertich, a proven leader

Long regarded as a rising star for the DFL and Northeastern Minnesota, Rep. Tony Sertich of Chisholm hasn’t lost a bit of his fire — and he hasn’t lost sight of his well-placed priorities.

Long regarded as a rising star for the DFL and Northeastern Minnesota, Rep. Tony Sertich of Chisholm hasn’t lost a bit of his fire — and he hasn’t lost sight of his well-placed priorities.

“It’s all focused, for me, on creating jobs and improving our economy,” Sertich said in an interview with the News Tribune editorial board.

As House majority leader — a position of power he enthusiastically sought, returning some needed legislative clout to the Northland — Sertich can help jump-start a sluggish economy by ensuring that the region is ready for an expected boom of industry on the Iron Range. The state already has begun, Sertich said, with support for education to make sure that the Northland’s work force is trained and ready and with money for infrastructure so roads and sewers are in place for new employers and for the thousands of direct and spinoff jobs they’re projected to create.

Sertich’s record suggests success. He played a key role in appropriating state money to study mesothelioma cancer cases, to expand the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center and to make an Iron Range steel plant a reality. He started working the steel plant project when he was a staffer at the state Capitol.

Sertich pushed lawmakers to get their work done on time last year, a rarity. That work included a bipartisan transportation bill and an energy reform bill, which requires 20 percent renewable energy statewide by 2020.

“Really, the coolest part of the job, and it sounds corny, but it’s helping people,” Sertich said, citing a hearing aid he helped obtain for a young boy. But he didn’t stop there. He passed a bill to require insurance companies to cover those devices for all eligible Minnesota children.

“I will never take this job for granted,” he said. “I believe so strongly in what I’m doing.”

And residents of House District 5B, which stretches from Hibbing to Hermantown, can feel good about sending him back to St. Paul.

Sertich’s Republican opponent is John D. Larson, the owner of two Iron Range businesses, a bar and restaurant and a limousine service.

Minnesota’s sentencing guidelines need to be tougher when it comes to sexual predators, Larson said, advocating for mandatory life sentences. Welfare recipients, after six months, should be required to pay the state back for their assistance, he said. And the state’s funding formula for education needs to be fairer, he said. Hibbing schools receive $8,400 per year per student while Minneapolis gets $13,000, even though Hibbing schools outperform those in Minneapolis.

“You figure there has to be a better way to help businesses than raising taxes,” Larson told the editorial board. “You need new leadership, and with it you get fresh leadership. A new person who goes out there will have fresh ideas and will fight for what they believe in.”

Larson is a fresh, pro-business voice for the Iron Range. And while he may not yet be ready for the statehouse, he could make a difference on the Hibbing City Council or St. Louis County Board.