Rukavina brings populist message to governor’s race
Monday, July 27, 2009 at 5:45 pm
- 8 Comments
(Minnesota House of Representatives)
State Rep. Tom Rukavina is not hesitant to advocate for higher taxes. While many of his DFL colleagues danced rhetorical circles around the state’s budgetary mess during the last legislative session, the 12-term Iron Range legislator repeatedly stated that increased revenue would need to be part of any solution. Now Rukavina is looking to bring that blunt — and perhaps politically obtuse — talk to the 2010 gubernatorial race.
“I certainly don’t shy away from the fact that I’m not opposed to raising fair taxes,” says Rukavina, speaking to MnIndy by phone. “We all knew at the Capitol, including Gov. Pawlenty, that we needed to raise money.”
Last week, Rukavina filed papers with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board to formally explore a gubernatorial bid. He expects to spend the rest of the summer meeting with DFL activists, raising money and gauging support. Rukavina said he won’t run against the DFL-endorsed candidate in a primary election.
“I can’t compete against some of the people who are running in the DFL primary as far as money is concerned,” he said. “A little guy with a lot of passion and just a little bit of money can’t compete if I don’t have the DFL party behind me.”
Rukavina paints himself as a passionate populist in the mold of former U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone. He expects to have strong support from organized labor and becomes the second candidate from the DFL stronghold of the Iron Range, joining state Sen. Tom Bakk.
“My mantra’s going to be six issues,” Rukavina said. “Jobs, jobs, jobs, and education, education, education.”
Rukavina believes Pawlenty overstepped his authority when he used his unallotment powers to help unilaterally close the state’s $2.7 billion budget gap. He contemplated suing the governor, as his previously did in 2003, but didn’t have the financial or legal resources to follow through.
“No governor — I don’t care if it’s Tom Rukavina or Tim Pawlenty — should have that kind of power,” he said. “I think it’s unconstitutional the way it was used.”
8 Comments
Comment posted July 28, 2009 @ 9:41 am
Tommy is a good old fashioned politician that all of Minnesota should be proud of. Like the article says, he is not afraid to say we need to raise taxes.
Too many others are afraid to face up to the big money Republi-thugs. Instead, like the soon to be former Gov Mr. T-Paw, they would rather take away the programs and benefits I get. Soon, I won’t be able to go to the hospital when I want to and need to. Heck, I will probably have to walk there since T-Paw is cutting the free transportation programs too.
Mr. Rukavina would never do that to me. I will vote for Tom & you should too.
Comment posted July 28, 2009 @ 10:04 am
T-Paw is a jerk and it’s going to take years to undo the damage he’s done to Minnesota.
Having said that – I like Tom – he’s right about taxes and it’s going to be a painful recovery to get Minnesota back to where we were – 1st or second in education and services. I’m hoping there is a special ring in hell reserved for T-Paw and his un-holy minions.
Where is he on health care? I look forward to seeing his campaign unfold. I love progressives from the range
Comment posted July 28, 2009 @ 11:14 am
You guys are crazy. Yes, let’s take more money from the hardworking people of Minnesota in a recession. Many businesses are making cuts and freezing pay and the State should do the same. Spending has been increasing at huge levels.
How about our welfare system? Our welfare dollars have been spent by users in all other 49 states. That means someone took our handout and brought it to Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Florida, EVERYWHERE. How about we restrict that money to MN, WI, IA, IL, ND, and SD and see what happens. It’s ridiculous and now you guys want to raise my taxes.
Sorry no thanks. With Rep. Rukavina as Governor we will probably have to all buy Minnesota made products and at the very lease USA products. This is the guy who introduced the bill making it illegal for US flag to be made anywhere but the US. Who cares where I buy my US flag and do some actual reform in government in the State.
Comment posted July 28, 2009 @ 12:27 pm
The Croatian Sensation stands up for working people, poor people, and students. Tom would bring a populist flavor that we are lacking right now with some of the metro candidates. He can be progressive, libertarian, and even a little crazy when he feels his people are being attacked. I look forward to seeing what he has to say.
Comment posted July 28, 2009 @ 2:38 pm
Bernie,
Tommy will also make sure that unions in this state are given a priority over non-union shops. He has been a friend of labor for years and even makes sure all of his employees in his bar are union members.
All labor needs to unionize. Mr. Rukavena will help make that a reality.
Comment posted July 28, 2009 @ 2:53 pm
Dean – had you not bought into the crap that pawlenty and seifert and and all the other republican anti-taxers were feeding you about waste and how they were protecting you and all minnesotans from big spending liberals, we wouldn’t be in the shape we are in. You have been starving schools and small towns for the last 8 years and now we are paying for it. It’s going to cost us to play catch up and you have nobody but yourselves to blame – man up and admit – you were lied to and we all are paying the price.
Comment posted July 29, 2009 @ 12:37 pm
I’ve seen Tom in action in the legislature and he is about the most straight-forward politician I think we have in MN. He goes to bat for those who are in the minority and don’t have a voice in politics like big money corporations that have had the ear of Pawlenty for years. I think he best not talk too much of raising peoples’ taxes, as that is very unpopular at the moment. I think his heart is in the right place, but people just aren’t going to listen to those words. If he does continue to bring up raising taxes, he’ll have to do a heckuva job informing the MN public about our rates of taxation in MN as compared to other states in the union. We are NO LONGER one of the “high tax” states, but the perception is that we’re near the top. Republicans have done a wonderful job of perpetuating that myth for years now.
Comment posted July 31, 2009 @ 1:54 am
You guys must not listen or say what you type out loud to yourselves. “All labor needs to unionize.” Really!!?? You people know that Unions are only about 2-5% of the total workforce nowadays right? And bar workers in a union, really. How about if the bar owner is treating me bad, I go find another job at another bar, plus I wouldn’t patronize that bar if they had a reputation for poor worker treatment, it’s just bad PR that no bar (or any other business) owner would want.
I work as public accountant and I would never want to unionize. I view myself as a commodity that if I’m not being fully used or valuated, I would walk down the street to the next firm and find me a job. I would also let the market dictate my value. Seriously, how bad would management at any particular company be that workers would even threaten to unionize? Bottom line is you go to where the work is and if you don’t like it work somewhere else.
As far as being an over-taxed state, do you people even make enough money to be taxed, or are your government handouts tax free?
Here is a pretty good website of tax statistics.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/37.html
MN ranks has the 12th highest taxed state. 2006 Collections were about $1,377 per person which ranked 7th highest in the nation. Those are just a few, but none of them led me to believe we are a low taxed state.
Also businesses will eventually start leaving the State as they have in this article.
http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2009/07/27/daily34.html
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