November 20, 2025 • 41 mins
In Hour 2 of the show Jon talks about how the Minnesota economy has fallen behind other states when it comes to growth. Then the conversation transitions to talk about the new paid family medical leave program.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hour two for a Thursday Why and by this morning
Quincy's News Talk from the sixty five to one carpet
Next Day Install Studios. My name is John Justice in
the booth next door is Defin And of course you
you can email me Justice at iHeart radio dot com.
Any of you of you have already this morning. I
appreciate your emails. Also leave talkbacks. iHeartRadio apples are brought
(00:36):
to you by Lindahl Realty. We'll get to more of
those coming up here in just a moment. Wrapping up
the immigration coverage from last to hour, community activists masked
at the site of tuesday's federal rate at a business
in Saint Paul to hold a vigil for workers detained
by ICE and staye a press conference asking for answers.
(00:57):
We still don't know what these individuals were rested for,
beyond being here illegally, but it doesn't matter for these people.
The Immigration Defense Network gathered at Brotech's, Inc. A paper
and textile company. The organization is asking authorities this will
be the Immigration Defense Network the idea. They're asking for
clarity on the raid that took place on Tuesday morning.
(01:21):
ICE says I involved conducting search warrant connected to an
ongoing criminal investigation. The Immigration Defense Network wants to know
how many people were detained in the Tuesday morning rate
and what type of property was confiscated. Well, guess what,
it's none of your business. Among the speakers at the
gathering was Mayor elect Kohuli Hurr, who said that she
(01:45):
was not speaking from a political platform, but as somebody
who has lived the immigrant experience, and apparently so, she's also.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Claimed to be an illegal alien.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So perhaps she should sit this one out, or maybe
I should have a lengthy conversation with her. Might be
worth the time, you know, just like the conversation that
people should have with ilhan Omar's brother might also be
worth the time. Kahuli her said, when this happens to
(02:20):
our community, it's not just that they were detained and
released and that they will lose jobs and not to
be able to go to them. That they're families that
relied on them cannot The children that need their parents
to be there to give them transportation to school do
not have them. There's a huge ripple effect when our
families are targeted in this way. Well, you know what,
(02:40):
maybe you shouldn't make bad choices. Perhaps you shouldn't come
into the country illegally. Good people make bad choices. Good
people contributing to society in a positive way and to
their family make bad choices. We don't just dismiss those
bad choices suddenly because they happen to be doing some
(03:03):
good for their family and society. What other sectors in
life does that happen. I don't want to be too
redundant in my commentary, but again, an individual that gets
busted for a dui and gets locked up, who happens
to be a mother or a father of children and
can't go and continue to provide. I don't see a
lot of arguments from individuals, especially those on the left,
(03:26):
saying you can't go and put that person behind bars
for drinking and driving and putting the public at risk.
They're providing for their family and they have a job.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
What is this supposed to happen now?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
And consider for just a moment, as we go back
to Charlotte, North Carolina. The empty classrooms in Charlotte, North Carolina,
underscoring the number of individuals that are here in the
country illegally and how many children are here illegally from
those families occupying classrooms across the country. Here in Minnesota,
not just in Charlotte, North Carolina. The state pays out
(03:59):
thousands of dollars for every single student that sits in
those classrooms. How much of your tax dollars are going
to pay for the education of illegal aliens. How many
of these schools need to remain open. I was just
texting with Melinda. There's a school that our kids went to,
(04:21):
elementary school in Tucson, Arizona, and it's closing. I don't
know the dynamics around it, but at first I was
taken aback when she let me know. I was like, Oh,
my gosh, that school is closing. It's right in the
middle of a community. How could that happen?
Speaker 2 (04:34):
And then I realized, Oh.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
People move into the community, people have children in that community,
Those kids go to the school in that community, and
then those children grow up and they end up moving
on and they move on to the next grade level,
and suddenly those people aren't having children anymore. And we
know that's a problem here in the country right now,
And suddenly you have the community filled with empty nesters
and there's no need for that school anymore. So guess
(04:57):
what the school is closing down. How much of our
tax dollars could be saved if we if and when
we get a grip on the illegal immigration situation that
we're faced with here, and suddenly now the schools don't
need to have as much money pouring into them, and
(05:17):
maybe don't even need to remain open. There's an article
up at the Minneapolis Times. I've been toying with the idea,
and I'm not going to go there now, but I
just I've been toying with the idea of covering it.
But I'll just give you the headline, Minneapolis a wash
in empty schools. Minneapolis High schools alone have the space
for twelve eight hundred and forty one total students, yet
(05:39):
only seven eight hundred and nineteen were enrolled as of late.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Maybe we need to start closing some schools down. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
In the meantime, we have all of these districts around
the state that are begging for more money from their constituents,
and their liberal voters are more than happy to go
and support those levees, which is also Glenna end up
costing you more in your property taxes.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
And we'll get to that and coming up in just
a moment. Let me wrap up this article though.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Marco Hernandez, the outreach director for the Minnesota Attorney's Office,
regarding the raid that took place on Tuesday, spoke of
the tactics used by federal agents and the Trump administration
to strip away civil rights of those seeking status. The
conduct that we've seen around the country is disturbing. Mass
to agents have been tearing families apart and terrorizing communities.
It's just such ridiculous, over the top fear mongering rhetoric.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Terrorizing communities.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
I mean, I go back to that article that I
shared with you a moment ago from the Charlotte Observer
in the way that they ended up framing as border
patrol officers Rome Charlotte looking for people to detain and report.
I mean, the images it conjures up. I keep saying
it's just propaganda. The operation was one of several by
(07:04):
ICE agents in recent months that have community organizers concerned.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Now it doesn't.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
It has these community organizers salivating at the opportunity to
bring in more money to their organizations because they actually
have some cause that they're going to go and fight
for that they don't genuinely care about Carol Levin spoke
with the Trump administration nominee for US Marshall, former Onnoka
(07:30):
sheriff James Stewart on the rise of ICE activity in Minnesota,
and he maintains that we're moving undocumented immigrants is something
that's been going on for years.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Right now.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
It's sad to me it's become such a political device,
and tragically we're getting too much bystander involvement that is
compromising the safety of everybody involved. And this goes back
to what I said before the issue regarding Trump and
his deportation plans and operations around the country.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
It's not that they're enforcing.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
The law and holding people accountable for coming into the
country illegally. It's the activists that are causing all of
the problems. And as that individual just mentioned, he's right
if you go back and look, I just been conducting.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
All kinds of operations in the state. They always have.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
You rarely hear about them unless it is an opportunity
for the activist organizations to grab onto it because it
is a topic that people.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Are suddenly interested in.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
And you can just roll in the Epstein commentary from
last hour right into that as well.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Coming up.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
You want to know why there are a record number
of individuals that are running to be the nominee for
Republicans against Governor Tim Wallas. It's because he's vulnerable. That's why.
I'll talk a little bit more about that in a moment.
I just want to say upfront, though, there is no
perfect GOP candidate out there, and people need to get
(08:54):
that through. They need to understand. I think a lot
of people are waiting for that perfect candidate to emerge,
that they can look at it and go, that's the one.
It's just it's not gonna happen, guys.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
It doesn't. That's not how any of this of this works.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
I get sick and tired of see people, see people disparaging.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
H Walls is just gonna win. Anyways, All these candidates suck.
Coming up with that from Alpha News.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and their twenty twenty six
Business Benchmarks published it yesterday. Minnesota's economy has fallen behind
on nearly every measure of growth except for one, and
it's not a good thing.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Good morning Janitch here. So speaking of ice in their raids,
I was in downtown Austin, South Austin, Texas yesterday went
to Home DEEPOT. There's usually one hundred illegal ilion day
labors in the parking lot. There were none. They were calm,
so they're not hanging out at Home Deep anymore looking
(10:22):
for work. So anyway, just to be news.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Here Twin City's News Talk.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Thank you for the talkback brought to you by Lindahl
Realty here on Twin City's News Talk from the sixty
five to one carpet Next Day install studios.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
All right, so let's get into this.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
I only laughed because it would be unbecoming for me
to cry on the air. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
and their twenty twenty six Business Benchmarks Report published yesterday
annual review it paints a gloomy picture of Minnesota's economy.
Doug Lone, CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, says
(11:10):
that our state has fallen behind on nearly every measure
of growth. From twenty nineteen to twenty twenty four. Minnesota
ranked thirty third in GDP, thirty ninth in job growth,
fortieth in labor force growth, forty six in growth of real.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Median household income.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Meanwhile, more people are leaving our state than moving here
now what's interesting about that.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
There's one metric.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
That was actually positive, and it's the one relating to
the population in the state, which has remained stable for
one particular reason. But it's not necessarily good news. The
Chambers report noted that Minnesota ranks.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Forty fourth for overall.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Tax competitiveness, with the second highest corporate rate and the
sixth highest personal income tax rate. Let me do a
quick just perusal here live on the air, because they
did my prep this morning, and I'm trying to see
whether or not. So I'm over on the Star Tribune
and i just want to see what the coverage this
is getting. This is kind of big news, right. Let's
(12:21):
see Star Tribune lead story leaders of a Duluth church
community enabled a child abuser through forgive and Forget sessions.
Got a story about Sarah mclaughlan's Lilith Fair opening doors
for Taylor Swift.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
I'm just looking at all the headlines on the home
page here.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Foreign firms, high dollar investment to Minnesota, startup, nightmare restaurants
charging fees. I don't see anything about the Chamber of
Commerce here at all. We have a commentary. We've lived
through lockdowns, now we're fighting for gun safety laws.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
We've got that.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Uh, let's see, no nothing there, all right, So let's
go over to let's see what the Pioneer Press has
to say regarding this. Their lead story. Immigrant group confirms
too were detained during Saint Paul business. Checking for more
regarding the ice rates, We've got a story from the
University of Minnesota. Walmart raises profit expectations, Joe Biden's attending
(13:24):
Dick Cheney's schunerals. Still nothing on this Minnesota paid family
leaves on.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
The on the Pioneer.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Presses website, leverage data selfies to fight fraud. We're going
to get into more of that coming up in just
a moment. The paid family medical leave is going to
be an unmitigated disaster, and I will continue my deep
dive into that particular issue just so I can join
my fellow Republicans in the legislature when we are all
(13:52):
able to go and say told you so, because it'll
happen in a short enough amount of time. So far
from a couple of the major publications, Now, let's see
donations down, demand up for Minnesota nonprofits. On the eve
of Give to the Max Day, Let's see stope nopeh
here we go, here we go top news one, two, three, four, five,
(14:13):
six story down on Channel five's website, Minnesota Chamber of
Commerce reports says state's economy is losing grounds.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
So we got one.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Let's just uh le'll just finish off my uh my
little perusal here of the local websites.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Uh Fox nine.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Thc Epstein files stimulus money. Here we go, six story
down on the left hand side, Minnesota's economy falling behind report. Fine, So, okay,
it's your quick roundup of how much our local media
cares about this issue. I want to see Governor Tim
Wallas have to answer for this. This is what this
(14:52):
is what I want. It would be amazing to see
every single one of the outlets I just mentioned actually
immediately go to the governor and be like, I'm governor
the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. You know your Minnesota Chamber
of Commerce says the economy has fallen behind on nearly
every measure of growth during the entire time that you
have been in office, and most specifically during the time
(15:12):
of the DFL trifecta.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
What say you?
Speaker 1 (15:17):
This is me talking to you on the show, not
holding my breath for fear, of you having to experience
an abundance of dead air. The Chamber of Commerce also
sounded the alarm of minnesota slow growing labor force. The
report says that Minnesota's workforce grew by one point seven
per year between seventy one point seven percent per year
(15:40):
from nineteen seventy six to two thousand. That metric has
now slowed to a paltry zero point two percent from
twenty nineteen to twenty twenty four. Colse Interestingly, the report
said that positive international migration has helped stained population and
(16:01):
labor force growth in the first quarter of the century.
This impact has only increased in recent years, with ninety
four percent of Minnesota's net population growth coming from immigration.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
And that's just from.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Twenty twenty to twenty twenty four, averaging Yes, I can
believe that it should not come as a shock to anybody.
Democrats need that migration, They need those individuals coming here
into Minnesota if they want to continue winning elections. This,
(16:35):
combined with the GDP figures, means that Minnesota's GDP growth
has failed to keep pace, even in spite of the
fact that the state has been flooded with foreigners in
recent years. The report also showed that Minnesota was among
a list of states experiencing a net loss of people
to domestic migration. In short, more people have left Minnesota
(16:56):
for another state than come to Minnesota from another state.
Perhaps the most pressing long term challenge that Minnesota is
Minnesota's migration trend, said Loune from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
For twenty of the past twenty four years, more people
have left our state than moved here. From twenty twenty
to twenty twenty four, Minnesota ranked forty first in net
(17:19):
domestic migration, losing nearly forty eight thousand residents to other states.
But what happened to us being a sanctuary refuge, a
trans refuge, a abortion refuge. All these people didn't come
flooding into the country or into the state all of
a sudden because of all these things that walls in
the DFL pass.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
You know, it's almost as if a whole bunch.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Of people left the state because of those things. And
yet you have this massive ninety four percent influx in
Minnesota's net population growth coming from immigration between twenty twenty
and twenty twenty four. And what have we been dealing
with during those years? As well, the big F. It's
(18:06):
that big F word we talk about a lot on
the show, but it's one that we can actually say
that's called fraud. Minnesota's economy has fallen behind on nearly
every measure of growth. Chamber of Commerce releasing their twenty
twenty six Business Benchmarks Report thirty third, GDP growth thirty ninth,
(18:31):
job growth fortieth and labor force growth forty six. In
growth of real median household income, most of this is
taking place between twenty nineteen and twenty twenty four. I
would love to hear Governor Tim Walls explain how all
these are good things. Interesting though, I'm convinced that Walls
knew this report was coming out. It wouldn't surprise me
(18:52):
not talking anything to Farius. It just he probably knew
because lately he's been out talking about all of the
metrics in his mind of why Minnesota is the best
place to live.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
You see, he's basing that off of.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Lists that are produced by outlets like wallet Hub, mostly
guided by specific progressive metrics in terms of livability of
a particular state. Now, this is tangible information here, coming
from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
I will bet you the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, like
all business and corporations and banks, gave some campaign donations
to Tyrant, Timm and Walls.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
Hey, good morning, John. I have to assume, but we
know what happens in you soon. But I have to
assume that we're first in terms of government.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Growth, right right?
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Come on, we have to be with everything we did,
we have to be first in something. I know Minnesota
aren't used to being first, but come on, tell me
the good dues. Are we first for government drills versus
corporate girl?
Speaker 1 (20:08):
It is not on my Minnesota Chamber of Commerce list here,
so I would assume that as well, but I do
not have the hard data to share with you this morning.
Speaker 6 (20:17):
At this point in Minnesota politics, a loaf of dry
toast should be able to get elected over Timmy Walls
and his married band of Democrats. They are taxing us
out of our homes, They're taxing us out of our employment,
and forcing us to move to other states that like people.
Democrats in the States do not like people. They never
(20:39):
have they never will. It's about time we get somebody
in there and stop fighting with each other that'll do
something for us.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
And before I move on to the other items for
this hour on property taxes, and then also this hearing
that took place on the paid family medical leave. Walls
is vulnerable. It's why you have a record number of
people who are running to be the nominee on the
GOP ticket because they're convinced that they can beat him.
(21:12):
More announcements are going to be made. There was somebody
else who threw their hat into the ring yesterday that
I never heard of before. I had jokingly reposted their
story and said that I should probably announce at this
point in time since everybody else is.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Is that a bad thing?
Speaker 5 (21:24):
Though?
Speaker 1 (21:25):
What is a bad thing is the prevailing narrative among
conservatives that none of the announced candidates are capable of
beating Walls. Listen, here's a pro tip for a Thursday.
As I mentioned, your perfect GOP candidate.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
Does not exist. They just don't. I understand the desire.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
When you're up against somebody like Governor Tim Walls, he
gets a lot of attention.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
He was the VP pick. So even with an individual
who is as big of an idiot and a horrible leader.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
And a communist like Walls, he still does get placed
and elevated up a little higher because he's got the
name recognition. So when these other candidates announced that some
you may have heard of before, others you may not
have heard of, it doesn't rise. It does not elevated
to the level of sort of notoriety doing that thing
with my fingers that Walls currently has. And so I
understand that desire of wanting to see that's the person,
(22:25):
that's my person. For some of you, you have your
candidates and you feel that way, and that's awesome. But
my suggestion would be, choose your fighter, whoever that candidate
is going to be. Drop unrealistic expectations that you're going
to have the perfect candidate.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Choose the individual you want to support. Support that person.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Don't disparage your fellow Republican, your fellow Conservative, if they
don't support your candidate, encourage them to support their candidate first.
Frustrated as you get for your friend who may not
support the individual you support, it's not going to make
any difference if you end up criticizing them for not
(23:09):
supporting the candidate that you choose. Don't disparage the other candidates.
Don't do damage to the individuals that are also running.
Keep in mind that that person could end up being
the nominee and then fully support whoever that nominee is
because right now with the moment, and it's all anecdotal,
but right now, at the moment, that narrative that all
(23:30):
these candidates that have announced suck. Yeah, that's going to
lose you an election against an individual right now who
even Democrats aren't happy with. There's posts online in the
wake of this Minnesota Chamber of Commerce report from prominent
Democrats saying that the Walls campaign is still expecting individuals
to go doorknock for him, and they don't want to
(23:52):
because they know how damaged he is.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
And I would not be surprised, and I'm just gonna
throw it out there.
Speaker 7 (24:01):
Now.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
This would mean that the news that I shared with
you regarding this report from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
actually makes some waves and causes concern for people. But
I wouldn't be surprised if this information because it should
have been and it should be should be devastating for
Wallas's campaign that you don't see another Democrat candidate.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Emerge to challenge him.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
At a minimum, as I mentioned, I just want to
see Walls have to go and answer for this economic
news coming out of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Born in John Jim from Oakdale. Great show as usual. Hey,
you know, if you aren't inspiring anyone, if you're running
for mister Janie congeniality like Jeff Johnson did last time,
they're not going to inspire anybody to follow them. We
need Walter Hodson, someho's a buster.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Thanks well, and again, listen, I love Walter.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Walter's a friend of mine, and he might be a
really good candidate, but there are reasons why he also
might not be a good candidate. It's like this with
every single person I had somebody else make a comment
about this that you know you're wrong. John Walter Hudson
would be the perfect candidate. Okay, Well, he hasn't announced,
for one, and while he's a guest on the show,
(25:23):
you're fully aware of him. He also doesn't have the
name recognition state wide.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
If Walter Hudson.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Were to go and announce, then support that candidate, and
then get behind him and get excited if that's the kind,
if that's the person that you want to go and support,
I'm certainly not going to disparage you for that. But again,
he's got just as many issues following him as all
the other candidates do.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
And that's my point.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
He's no less a perfect candidate or more of a
perfect candidate than any of the other individuals. Choose your person,
support them, but do not tear anybody else down in
the process. John Feelin, at Center of the American Experiment,
has a two part series upright now at American Experiment
dot Oregon.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
I want to share with you a couple of points
from this first off.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Yesterday he covered why are property taxes going up? He writes, Previously,
the federal government covered the cost of benefits paid out
under SNAP.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Signed in the law in July, state governments would be
required to cover fifteen percent of that. The bill also
cut federal reimbursement that states received to administer the program
from fifty to twenty five percent to administer the program
to do the work of doling out the money. Minnesota
(26:41):
is particularly vulnerable to some other OBBB provisions. Were one
of less than ten states where counties administer Medicaid and SNAP.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
The OBBB.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
The One Big Beautiful Bill added a work requirement for Medicaid,
which workers will have to verify, and counties will also
have to review eligibility twice a year instead of once.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Julie Ring, the executive director.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Of the Association of Minnesota Counties, said, it's pretty simple math.
They've doubled the workload. The Minnesota Reformer puts it this way.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services is estimating that administering
the new Medicaid work requirements will cost the state, county,
and tribes one hundred and sixty five million dollars annually.
(27:31):
The new Medicaid eligibility checks will cost another five million.
The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Family estimates that
the state and counties will lose thirty nine million a
year and snap federal administration funding and increased workloads to
push that number higher. Now. John Feelan goes on to
(27:52):
say there are measures besides tax hikes which can mitigate
all of this. Ideally, we would deal with doubling of
the by increasing the amount of work done within a
given set of resources.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
There's ways to do this. In Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
You look to improve labor productivity of welfare workers. But
then we also run into the situation that a majority
of these government entities wherein they have to do the
work they're working off of antiquated equipment. Dakota County officials
(28:30):
were asked for a rough estimate of any efficiency costs,
and they said it's not possible to measure them all,
but they gave examples of the inefficiencies occurring in programs
using these outdated computers. So staffers who are there to
help Minnesotas are spending days battling systemic slowness, endless workarounds,
(28:57):
the need to enter duplicate information, or the inability to
add personal information that could change benefit eligibility. The MAXIS
program requires fluency in cryptic keyboard commands because it's so
old it doesn't allow for a computer mouse to.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Move the cursor around.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Modernizing these systems will require an investment, but in the
genuine sense of the word, not as a disguise for spending.
So basically, in part one of what John Feeling lays
out here, it's antiquated equipment and workloads that are causing,
in one way, counties across the state to go and
(29:38):
increase your property taxes to pay for it.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Listen, I don't know about you. I don't buy any
of it. I just don't I get it.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
I know some of the numbers are here. I understand
the equipment. I think it's ridiculous that we haven't upgraded
this equipment. But really, this is one of the reasons
why the changes in the one big Beautiful Bill that
require a more thorough go going through of the money
that's being distributed by the federal government is going to
cause so much extra work and doing that thing with
(30:07):
my fingers for government employees here in Minnesota, that these
counties are all going to go and jack up your
property taxes, it makes me wonder whether or not they
saw an opportunity to simply take more money from you,
And where is that money going to end up going
If they commit to making sure that your property tax
dollars that they are increasing to the tune of one
(30:29):
billion dollars next year, is actually going to go to
increase the workload or load or buy new equipment.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Okay, but it's going to follow up on that.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
And with the amount of corruption that we've already seen
in the state, one would be stupid to not question
where that extra money coming in is actually going. He
has another piece out today, part two of why the
property taxes are rising. Yesterday he looked at the coming
from the federal action. As I just mentioned today, he
(31:03):
looks at the pressures coming from state government. So in
Ramsey County they improved a levy hike of nine point
seven percent, or thirty eight point six million. The Pioneer
Press reports the biggest drivers of expenses are unfunded mandates
from the State of Minnesota, employee compensation, and directing resources
(31:23):
to our core services and improving our organizational performance. This
is according to county manager Lynn ling Becker in September.
So what are unfunded mandates? A former Triton schools As
Superintendent Craig Schikta Ling explained in February in the Dodge
(31:44):
County Independent, unfunded mandate is any policy or requirement that
is created by legislation without sufficient funding to cover the
cost of implementation. One example of an unfunded mandate is
summer unemployment for our wage world workers who do not
work you around. I seem to recall talking about that
at length on the show in the past, and how
(32:08):
Republicans call that into question didn't matter though they were
ignored by Democrats. For the first to two years, the
state allocated one hundred and thirty five million toward unemployment
payments for those staff members, which is not enough to
cover the projected expense until twenty twenty seven, as the
(32:29):
money has already been estimated to run out before this
summer is over. This will end up costing the Triton
School District about fifty thousand dollars every single year. Oh
and then we get to paid family medical leave, paid
for through the employment tax of zero point seven percent
on wages, with the costs allowed to be shared between
(32:51):
employers and employees. There is no state aid to support
the increase for employers for the Triton School District. Again,
this increase is going to cost about twenty eight thousand
dollars per year when you start to look at the
combined impact of all the mandates and increased expenses at
the district. In this case, you have no choice but
(33:14):
to either cut staff or to ask the legislature for help.
In Scott County, which is proposing a roughly ten percent
hike on his property tax levies, the deputy county Administrator,
Dan Lentz told the Star Tribune the county has to
cover eight hundred and sixty four thousand in higher costs
from the state due to the new paid family leave
law and changes.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
In social service programs.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
So not only are you going to get screwed on
your paycheck because the government is forcing you to pay
for other individuals paid family medical leave, of which you
can just simply provide any excuse you'd like to go
and take that time off. So if you don't go
and take that time off, then you are paying for
somebody else's. Now you can go and take that time off,
but you do that to your own risk. Don't think
(34:03):
for a second that employers aren't going to be looking
at new hires and making sure that they are really
doing a deep.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Dive into this, into these individuals.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Who want to go and work for a particular business,
knowing that if they hire the wrong individual they could
absolutely go and take advantage of the paid family medical leave.
And this is before we even get to the concerns
of what it's going to do to businesses because of
the costs, well, you're going to have to shoulder some
of that cost in your rising property taxes next year.
(34:35):
Then you get to the issue of fraud, which is
where I want to go now from Fox nine. In
a matter of weeks, Minnesota will introduce a new paid
family medical leave program. The headline is Minnesota officials say
that they're prepared for paid leave rollout on January first.
(35:00):
That's probably the only truth here. They are prepared for
it to roll out, but it's still going to end
up being a disaster. The program, passed by the DFL
controlled legislature in twenty three provides twelve weeks of family
leave annually, twelve weeks of medical leave, or twenty weeks
for a combination of both. Every single time I read
(35:23):
how much time you can take off, I just want
to pull the gray hairs out of my head.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Given the scale of.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
The more than six hundred million dollar program, state officials
in the Minnesota Department of Education and Economic Development say
there are safeguards in place to prevent the kind of
fraud seen in other areas of state government. It certainly
doesn't sound like it, and fraud is only the one
(35:54):
thing to be concerned about on this. I mean, you
start with the businesses themselves having to shoulder the.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Bird, and of the cost.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
What that's going to do to your smaller businesses people
taking advantage of this, What that's going to do to
businesses and their productivity. Even before we get to fraud,
so sins we're talking about fraud.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Let's go there.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
There was a meeting that took place Fraud Committee hearing
about the upcoming paid family medical Leave program. Here is
a one restaurant owner, Troy Reading, expressing concerns about preventing
fraud and misuse in Minnesota's paid family medical leave program.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Here's what he had to say.
Speaker 7 (36:36):
Thank you, Madam chair, Good morning members. My name is
Troy Reading. I own and operate Ally Restaurants, which operates
Holman's Table here in Saint Paul and Rocky Elm tavern
in Plymouth. We currently employ one hundred and five people
to operate our two locations and our food truck. We're
extremely proud of the culture we've built at Ally Restaurants,
(36:57):
providing our employees with a flexible and inclusive work of environment,
and offering healthcare, including mental health care that's fully funded
by us as the employer, with a robust PTO program
for our salary to back of those employees in an
opt out company matching for one k over time. I
have raised concerns with the implementation of paid Family leap program. Specifically,
(37:22):
I'm concerned at what protections are in place to prevent
fraud and how DEED will prevent misuse. A challenge we
have seen with earned sick and Safe time, which the
Department of Labor is working to address through rulemaking, is misuse.
For example, if we have an employee utilizing ESST, creating
a gap in our staff for the day, their colleagues
(37:44):
take on the responsibility will frustrating. This is generally short lived. However,
it impacts the trust on our team. For example, a
team member takes off for EST but is posting pictures
on social media traveling or not use e SST for
the intended purposes. My concerns with the paid family leave
(38:05):
and fraud stems from generally removing the employer from the
leave process. Now our employees will work directly with state
agency for extended periods of leave. We are concerned with
the mechanisms that will be in placed at THEED to
verify that employee is appropriately caring for the designated individual
on leave. What are the mechanisms in place to preclude
(38:26):
an individual from working a second job in Minnesota or
in another state as they are caring for their loved one.
How why is an employer be able to validate raise
abuse issues with the program. Will it mirror the UI
program where I have the ability to denign or rebut
the claim. Thank you, Madam Chair and Committee for your time.
(38:47):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
I have more audio to share from that hearing yesterday.
You are not going to want to miss coming up
on the show. But consider this. Consider how bad the
quality of education here is here in Minnesota.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
How bad it is.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
Graduation rates are up, but only because Governor Tim Walls
and his administration lowered the standards to increase the graduation rates. Well,
you and I both know that when it comes to
reading and math proficiency, half of the students that are
graduating don't know how to do either.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
To the standards given, which aren't very high.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
On top of that, you have the indoctrination taking place,
the critical race theory that's being implemented and already being
utilized within our schools, where too many of our future
workforce leaving high school. They're coming out of high school angry,
ready to do activism, hating Republicans, selfish in the way
(39:47):
that they view the world, believing that everything needs to
come to them, that they don't have to work hard
to achieve anything. Meritocracy has gone up in smoke under
Governor Tim Wallas's administration. And then these individuals are the
people that are going to need to be hired to
do the work if there is any here in Minnesota,
and yet they don't have the work ethic whatsoever. Now,
(40:08):
typically you go and develop that over time working for businesses.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
But if you've gone through.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
A quality education, even before you get to those first jobs,
you should already have instilled a sense of wanting to
do a good job, personal responsibility, and accountability. But we've
nuked those things, well, not we, not you, not me,
not Republicans, Democrats have. So these young people that are
(40:37):
going to be hired at these gigs, at these jobs
underpaid family medical leave, do you really think they're going
to have the level of respect they need for that
job and aren't going to take advantage of being able
to be paid even for a fraction a portion of
what they typically get paid and get twenty the twenty
weeks off a year. Right, more audio coming up. We'll
(41:01):
get to your talkbacks as well. I want to sneak
one in here. We had a comment that rolled into
the iHeartRadio app Talkbacks brought to you by Lyndahl Realty.
This was going back to the property tax increase and
how the workload coming from the one big beautiful bill
relating to Medicaid, how that's increasing causing you to have
to pay more because people in the government are simply
(41:22):
going to have to work harder.
Speaker 8 (41:25):
You don't have no sympathy none whatsoever with the increased
workload and cost for these departments. Not when we watch
nineteen billion dollar surplus disappear for relatively nothing, When we've
got a billion dollar plus Senate office building that never
needed to be built. The way they waste money in
(41:46):
this state, it's hard to find any sympathy for these
departments and these groups that are complaining
Hour two for a Thursday Why and by this morning
Quincy's News Talk from the sixty five to one carpet
Next Day Install Studios. My name is John Justice in
the booth next door is Defin And of course you
you can email me Justice at iHeart radio dot com.
Any of you of you have already this morning. I
appreciate your emails. Also leave talkbacks. iHeartRadio apples are brought
(00:36):
to you by Lindahl Realty. We'll get to more of
those coming up here in just a moment. Wrapping up
the immigration coverage from last to hour, community activists masked
at the site of tuesday's federal rate at a business
in Saint Paul to hold a vigil for workers detained
by ICE and staye a press conference asking for answers.
(00:57):
We still don't know what these individuals were rested for,
beyond being here illegally, but it doesn't matter for these people.
The Immigration Defense Network gathered at Brotech's, Inc. A paper
and textile company. The organization is asking authorities this will
be the Immigration Defense Network the idea. They're asking for
clarity on the raid that took place on Tuesday morning.
(01:21):
ICE says I involved conducting search warrant connected to an
ongoing criminal investigation. The Immigration Defense Network wants to know
how many people were detained in the Tuesday morning rate
and what type of property was confiscated. Well, guess what,
it's none of your business. Among the speakers at the
gathering was Mayor elect Kohuli Hurr, who said that she
(01:45):
was not speaking from a political platform, but as somebody
who has lived the immigrant experience, and apparently so, she's also.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Claimed to be an illegal alien.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So perhaps she should sit this one out, or maybe
I should have a lengthy conversation with her. Might be
worth the time, you know, just like the conversation that
people should have with ilhan Omar's brother might also be
worth the time. Kahuli her said, when this happens to
(02:20):
our community, it's not just that they were detained and
released and that they will lose jobs and not to
be able to go to them. That they're families that
relied on them cannot The children that need their parents
to be there to give them transportation to school do
not have them. There's a huge ripple effect when our
families are targeted in this way. Well, you know what,
(02:40):
maybe you shouldn't make bad choices. Perhaps you shouldn't come
into the country illegally. Good people make bad choices. Good
people contributing to society in a positive way and to
their family make bad choices. We don't just dismiss those
bad choices suddenly because they happen to be doing some
(03:03):
good for their family and society. What other sectors in
life does that happen. I don't want to be too
redundant in my commentary, but again, an individual that gets
busted for a dui and gets locked up, who happens
to be a mother or a father of children and
can't go and continue to provide. I don't see a
lot of arguments from individuals, especially those on the left,
(03:26):
saying you can't go and put that person behind bars
for drinking and driving and putting the public at risk.
They're providing for their family and they have a job.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
What is this supposed to happen now?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
And consider for just a moment, as we go back
to Charlotte, North Carolina. The empty classrooms in Charlotte, North Carolina,
underscoring the number of individuals that are here in the
country illegally and how many children are here illegally from
those families occupying classrooms across the country. Here in Minnesota,
not just in Charlotte, North Carolina. The state pays out
(03:59):
thousands of dollars for every single student that sits in
those classrooms. How much of your tax dollars are going
to pay for the education of illegal aliens. How many
of these schools need to remain open. I was just
texting with Melinda. There's a school that our kids went to,
(04:21):
elementary school in Tucson, Arizona, and it's closing. I don't
know the dynamics around it, but at first I was
taken aback when she let me know. I was like, Oh,
my gosh, that school is closing. It's right in the
middle of a community. How could that happen?
Speaker 2 (04:34):
And then I realized, Oh.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
People move into the community, people have children in that community,
Those kids go to the school in that community, and
then those children grow up and they end up moving
on and they move on to the next grade level,
and suddenly those people aren't having children anymore. And we
know that's a problem here in the country right now,
And suddenly you have the community filled with empty nesters
and there's no need for that school anymore. So guess
(04:57):
what the school is closing down. How much of our
tax dollars could be saved if we if and when
we get a grip on the illegal immigration situation that
we're faced with here, and suddenly now the schools don't
need to have as much money pouring into them, and
(05:17):
maybe don't even need to remain open. There's an article
up at the Minneapolis Times. I've been toying with the idea,
and I'm not going to go there now, but I
just I've been toying with the idea of covering it.
But I'll just give you the headline, Minneapolis a wash
in empty schools. Minneapolis High schools alone have the space
for twelve eight hundred and forty one total students, yet
(05:39):
only seven eight hundred and nineteen were enrolled as of late.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Maybe we need to start closing some schools down. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
In the meantime, we have all of these districts around
the state that are begging for more money from their constituents,
and their liberal voters are more than happy to go
and support those levees, which is also Glenna end up
costing you more in your property taxes.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
And we'll get to that and coming up in just
a moment. Let me wrap up this article though.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Marco Hernandez, the outreach director for the Minnesota Attorney's Office,
regarding the raid that took place on Tuesday, spoke of
the tactics used by federal agents and the Trump administration
to strip away civil rights of those seeking status. The
conduct that we've seen around the country is disturbing. Mass
to agents have been tearing families apart and terrorizing communities.
It's just such ridiculous, over the top fear mongering rhetoric.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Terrorizing communities.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
I mean, I go back to that article that I
shared with you a moment ago from the Charlotte Observer
in the way that they ended up framing as border
patrol officers Rome Charlotte looking for people to detain and report.
I mean, the images it conjures up. I keep saying
it's just propaganda. The operation was one of several by
(07:04):
ICE agents in recent months that have community organizers concerned.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Now it doesn't.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
It has these community organizers salivating at the opportunity to
bring in more money to their organizations because they actually
have some cause that they're going to go and fight
for that they don't genuinely care about Carol Levin spoke
with the Trump administration nominee for US Marshall, former Onnoka
(07:30):
sheriff James Stewart on the rise of ICE activity in Minnesota,
and he maintains that we're moving undocumented immigrants is something
that's been going on for years.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Right now.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
It's sad to me it's become such a political device,
and tragically we're getting too much bystander involvement that is
compromising the safety of everybody involved. And this goes back
to what I said before the issue regarding Trump and
his deportation plans and operations around the country.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
It's not that they're enforcing.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
The law and holding people accountable for coming into the
country illegally. It's the activists that are causing all of
the problems. And as that individual just mentioned, he's right
if you go back and look, I just been conducting.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
All kinds of operations in the state. They always have.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
You rarely hear about them unless it is an opportunity
for the activist organizations to grab onto it because it
is a topic that people.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Are suddenly interested in.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
And you can just roll in the Epstein commentary from
last hour right into that as well.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Coming up.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
You want to know why there are a record number
of individuals that are running to be the nominee for
Republicans against Governor Tim Wallas. It's because he's vulnerable. That's why.
I'll talk a little bit more about that in a moment.
I just want to say upfront, though, there is no
perfect GOP candidate out there, and people need to get
(08:54):
that through. They need to understand. I think a lot
of people are waiting for that perfect candidate to emerge,
that they can look at it and go, that's the one.
It's just it's not gonna happen, guys.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
It doesn't. That's not how any of this of this works.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
I get sick and tired of see people, see people disparaging.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
H Walls is just gonna win. Anyways, All these candidates suck.
Coming up with that from Alpha News.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and their twenty twenty six
Business Benchmarks published it yesterday. Minnesota's economy has fallen behind
on nearly every measure of growth except for one, and
it's not a good thing.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Good morning Janitch here. So speaking of ice in their raids,
I was in downtown Austin, South Austin, Texas yesterday went
to Home DEEPOT. There's usually one hundred illegal ilion day
labors in the parking lot. There were none. They were calm,
so they're not hanging out at Home Deep anymore looking
(10:22):
for work. So anyway, just to be news.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Here Twin City's News Talk.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Thank you for the talkback brought to you by Lindahl
Realty here on Twin City's News Talk from the sixty
five to one carpet Next Day install studios.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
All right, so let's get into this.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
I only laughed because it would be unbecoming for me
to cry on the air. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
and their twenty twenty six Business Benchmarks Report published yesterday
annual review it paints a gloomy picture of Minnesota's economy.
Doug Lone, CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, says
(11:10):
that our state has fallen behind on nearly every measure
of growth. From twenty nineteen to twenty twenty four. Minnesota
ranked thirty third in GDP, thirty ninth in job growth,
fortieth in labor force growth, forty six in growth of real.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Median household income.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Meanwhile, more people are leaving our state than moving here
now what's interesting about that.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
There's one metric.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
That was actually positive, and it's the one relating to
the population in the state, which has remained stable for
one particular reason. But it's not necessarily good news. The
Chambers report noted that Minnesota ranks.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Forty fourth for overall.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Tax competitiveness, with the second highest corporate rate and the
sixth highest personal income tax rate. Let me do a
quick just perusal here live on the air, because they
did my prep this morning, and I'm trying to see
whether or not. So I'm over on the Star Tribune
and i just want to see what the coverage this
is getting. This is kind of big news, right. Let's
(12:21):
see Star Tribune lead story leaders of a Duluth church
community enabled a child abuser through forgive and Forget sessions.
Got a story about Sarah mclaughlan's Lilith Fair opening doors
for Taylor Swift.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
I'm just looking at all the headlines on the home
page here.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Foreign firms, high dollar investment to Minnesota, startup, nightmare restaurants
charging fees. I don't see anything about the Chamber of
Commerce here at all. We have a commentary. We've lived
through lockdowns, now we're fighting for gun safety laws.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
We've got that.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Uh, let's see, no nothing there, all right, So let's
go over to let's see what the Pioneer Press has
to say regarding this. Their lead story. Immigrant group confirms
too were detained during Saint Paul business. Checking for more
regarding the ice rates, We've got a story from the
University of Minnesota. Walmart raises profit expectations, Joe Biden's attending
(13:24):
Dick Cheney's schunerals. Still nothing on this Minnesota paid family
leaves on.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
The on the Pioneer.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Presses website, leverage data selfies to fight fraud. We're going
to get into more of that coming up in just
a moment. The paid family medical leave is going to
be an unmitigated disaster, and I will continue my deep
dive into that particular issue just so I can join
my fellow Republicans in the legislature when we are all
(13:52):
able to go and say told you so, because it'll
happen in a short enough amount of time. So far
from a couple of the major publications, Now, let's see
donations down, demand up for Minnesota nonprofits. On the eve
of Give to the Max Day, Let's see stope nopeh
here we go, here we go top news one, two, three, four, five,
(14:13):
six story down on Channel five's website, Minnesota Chamber of
Commerce reports says state's economy is losing grounds.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
So we got one.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Let's just uh le'll just finish off my uh my
little perusal here of the local websites.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Uh Fox nine.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Thc Epstein files stimulus money. Here we go, six story
down on the left hand side, Minnesota's economy falling behind report. Fine, So, okay,
it's your quick roundup of how much our local media
cares about this issue. I want to see Governor Tim
Wallas have to answer for this. This is what this
(14:52):
is what I want. It would be amazing to see
every single one of the outlets I just mentioned actually
immediately go to the governor and be like, I'm governor
the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. You know your Minnesota Chamber
of Commerce says the economy has fallen behind on nearly
every measure of growth during the entire time that you
have been in office, and most specifically during the time
(15:12):
of the DFL trifecta.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
What say you?
Speaker 1 (15:17):
This is me talking to you on the show, not
holding my breath for fear, of you having to experience
an abundance of dead air. The Chamber of Commerce also
sounded the alarm of minnesota slow growing labor force. The
report says that Minnesota's workforce grew by one point seven
per year between seventy one point seven percent per year
(15:40):
from nineteen seventy six to two thousand. That metric has
now slowed to a paltry zero point two percent from
twenty nineteen to twenty twenty four. Colse Interestingly, the report
said that positive international migration has helped stained population and
(16:01):
labor force growth in the first quarter of the century.
This impact has only increased in recent years, with ninety
four percent of Minnesota's net population growth coming from immigration.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
And that's just from.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Twenty twenty to twenty twenty four, averaging Yes, I can
believe that it should not come as a shock to anybody.
Democrats need that migration, They need those individuals coming here
into Minnesota if they want to continue winning elections. This,
(16:35):
combined with the GDP figures, means that Minnesota's GDP growth
has failed to keep pace, even in spite of the
fact that the state has been flooded with foreigners in
recent years. The report also showed that Minnesota was among
a list of states experiencing a net loss of people
to domestic migration. In short, more people have left Minnesota
(16:56):
for another state than come to Minnesota from another state.
Perhaps the most pressing long term challenge that Minnesota is
Minnesota's migration trend, said Loune from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
For twenty of the past twenty four years, more people
have left our state than moved here. From twenty twenty
to twenty twenty four, Minnesota ranked forty first in net
(17:19):
domestic migration, losing nearly forty eight thousand residents to other states.
But what happened to us being a sanctuary refuge, a
trans refuge, a abortion refuge. All these people didn't come
flooding into the country or into the state all of
a sudden because of all these things that walls in
the DFL pass.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
You know, it's almost as if a whole bunch.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Of people left the state because of those things. And
yet you have this massive ninety four percent influx in
Minnesota's net population growth coming from immigration between twenty twenty
and twenty twenty four. And what have we been dealing
with during those years? As well, the big F. It's
(18:06):
that big F word we talk about a lot on
the show, but it's one that we can actually say
that's called fraud. Minnesota's economy has fallen behind on nearly
every measure of growth. Chamber of Commerce releasing their twenty
twenty six Business Benchmarks Report thirty third, GDP growth thirty ninth,
(18:31):
job growth fortieth and labor force growth forty six. In
growth of real median household income, most of this is
taking place between twenty nineteen and twenty twenty four. I
would love to hear Governor Tim Walls explain how all
these are good things. Interesting though, I'm convinced that Walls
knew this report was coming out. It wouldn't surprise me
(18:52):
not talking anything to Farius. It just he probably knew
because lately he's been out talking about all of the
metrics in his mind of why Minnesota is the best
place to live.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
You see, he's basing that off of.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Lists that are produced by outlets like wallet Hub, mostly
guided by specific progressive metrics in terms of livability of
a particular state. Now, this is tangible information here, coming
from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
I will bet you the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, like
all business and corporations and banks, gave some campaign donations
to Tyrant, Timm and Walls.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
Hey, good morning, John. I have to assume, but we
know what happens in you soon. But I have to
assume that we're first in terms of government.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Growth, right right?
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Come on, we have to be with everything we did,
we have to be first in something. I know Minnesota
aren't used to being first, but come on, tell me
the good dues. Are we first for government drills versus
corporate girl?
Speaker 1 (20:08):
It is not on my Minnesota Chamber of Commerce list here,
so I would assume that as well, but I do
not have the hard data to share with you this morning.
Speaker 6 (20:17):
At this point in Minnesota politics, a loaf of dry
toast should be able to get elected over Timmy Walls
and his married band of Democrats. They are taxing us
out of our homes, They're taxing us out of our employment,
and forcing us to move to other states that like people.
Democrats in the States do not like people. They never
(20:39):
have they never will. It's about time we get somebody
in there and stop fighting with each other that'll do
something for us.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
And before I move on to the other items for
this hour on property taxes, and then also this hearing
that took place on the paid family medical leave. Walls
is vulnerable. It's why you have a record number of
people who are running to be the nominee on the
GOP ticket because they're convinced that they can beat him.
(21:12):
More announcements are going to be made. There was somebody
else who threw their hat into the ring yesterday that
I never heard of before. I had jokingly reposted their
story and said that I should probably announce at this
point in time since everybody else is.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Is that a bad thing?
Speaker 5 (21:24):
Though?
Speaker 1 (21:25):
What is a bad thing is the prevailing narrative among
conservatives that none of the announced candidates are capable of
beating Walls. Listen, here's a pro tip for a Thursday.
As I mentioned, your perfect GOP candidate.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
Does not exist. They just don't. I understand the desire.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
When you're up against somebody like Governor Tim Walls, he
gets a lot of attention.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
He was the VP pick. So even with an individual
who is as big of an idiot and a horrible leader.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
And a communist like Walls, he still does get placed
and elevated up a little higher because he's got the
name recognition. So when these other candidates announced that some
you may have heard of before, others you may not
have heard of, it doesn't rise. It does not elevated
to the level of sort of notoriety doing that thing
with my fingers that Walls currently has. And so I
understand that desire of wanting to see that's the person,
(22:25):
that's my person. For some of you, you have your
candidates and you feel that way, and that's awesome. But
my suggestion would be, choose your fighter, whoever that candidate
is going to be. Drop unrealistic expectations that you're going
to have the perfect candidate.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Choose the individual you want to support. Support that person.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Don't disparage your fellow Republican, your fellow Conservative, if they
don't support your candidate, encourage them to support their candidate first.
Frustrated as you get for your friend who may not
support the individual you support, it's not going to make
any difference if you end up criticizing them for not
(23:09):
supporting the candidate that you choose. Don't disparage the other candidates.
Don't do damage to the individuals that are also running.
Keep in mind that that person could end up being
the nominee and then fully support whoever that nominee is
because right now with the moment, and it's all anecdotal,
but right now, at the moment, that narrative that all
(23:30):
these candidates that have announced suck. Yeah, that's going to
lose you an election against an individual right now who
even Democrats aren't happy with. There's posts online in the
wake of this Minnesota Chamber of Commerce report from prominent
Democrats saying that the Walls campaign is still expecting individuals
to go doorknock for him, and they don't want to
(23:52):
because they know how damaged he is.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
And I would not be surprised, and I'm just gonna
throw it out there.
Speaker 7 (24:01):
Now.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
This would mean that the news that I shared with
you regarding this report from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
actually makes some waves and causes concern for people. But
I wouldn't be surprised if this information because it should
have been and it should be should be devastating for
Wallas's campaign that you don't see another Democrat candidate.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Emerge to challenge him.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
At a minimum, as I mentioned, I just want to
see Walls have to go and answer for this economic
news coming out of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Born in John Jim from Oakdale. Great show as usual. Hey,
you know, if you aren't inspiring anyone, if you're running
for mister Janie congeniality like Jeff Johnson did last time,
they're not going to inspire anybody to follow them. We
need Walter Hodson, someho's a buster.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Thanks well, and again, listen, I love Walter.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Walter's a friend of mine, and he might be a
really good candidate, but there are reasons why he also
might not be a good candidate. It's like this with
every single person I had somebody else make a comment
about this that you know you're wrong. John Walter Hudson
would be the perfect candidate. Okay, Well, he hasn't announced,
for one, and while he's a guest on the show,
(25:23):
you're fully aware of him. He also doesn't have the
name recognition state wide.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
If Walter Hudson.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Were to go and announce, then support that candidate, and
then get behind him and get excited if that's the kind,
if that's the person that you want to go and support,
I'm certainly not going to disparage you for that. But again,
he's got just as many issues following him as all
the other candidates do.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
And that's my point.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
He's no less a perfect candidate or more of a
perfect candidate than any of the other individuals. Choose your person,
support them, but do not tear anybody else down in
the process. John Feelin, at Center of the American Experiment,
has a two part series upright now at American Experiment
dot Oregon.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
I want to share with you a couple of points
from this first off.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Yesterday he covered why are property taxes going up? He writes, Previously,
the federal government covered the cost of benefits paid out
under SNAP.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Signed in the law in July, state governments would be
required to cover fifteen percent of that. The bill also
cut federal reimbursement that states received to administer the program
from fifty to twenty five percent to administer the program
to do the work of doling out the money. Minnesota
(26:41):
is particularly vulnerable to some other OBBB provisions. Were one
of less than ten states where counties administer Medicaid and SNAP.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
The OBBB.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
The One Big Beautiful Bill added a work requirement for Medicaid,
which workers will have to verify, and counties will also
have to review eligibility twice a year instead of once.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Julie Ring, the executive director.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Of the Association of Minnesota Counties, said, it's pretty simple math.
They've doubled the workload. The Minnesota Reformer puts it this way.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services is estimating that administering
the new Medicaid work requirements will cost the state, county,
and tribes one hundred and sixty five million dollars annually.
(27:31):
The new Medicaid eligibility checks will cost another five million.
The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Family estimates that
the state and counties will lose thirty nine million a
year and snap federal administration funding and increased workloads to
push that number higher. Now. John Feelan goes on to
(27:52):
say there are measures besides tax hikes which can mitigate
all of this. Ideally, we would deal with doubling of
the by increasing the amount of work done within a
given set of resources.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
There's ways to do this. In Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
You look to improve labor productivity of welfare workers. But
then we also run into the situation that a majority
of these government entities wherein they have to do the
work they're working off of antiquated equipment. Dakota County officials
(28:30):
were asked for a rough estimate of any efficiency costs,
and they said it's not possible to measure them all,
but they gave examples of the inefficiencies occurring in programs
using these outdated computers. So staffers who are there to
help Minnesotas are spending days battling systemic slowness, endless workarounds,
(28:57):
the need to enter duplicate information, or the inability to
add personal information that could change benefit eligibility. The MAXIS
program requires fluency in cryptic keyboard commands because it's so
old it doesn't allow for a computer mouse to.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Move the cursor around.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Modernizing these systems will require an investment, but in the
genuine sense of the word, not as a disguise for spending.
So basically, in part one of what John Feeling lays
out here, it's antiquated equipment and workloads that are causing,
in one way, counties across the state to go and
(29:38):
increase your property taxes to pay for it.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Listen, I don't know about you. I don't buy any
of it. I just don't I get it.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
I know some of the numbers are here. I understand
the equipment. I think it's ridiculous that we haven't upgraded
this equipment. But really, this is one of the reasons
why the changes in the one big Beautiful Bill that
require a more thorough go going through of the money
that's being distributed by the federal government is going to
cause so much extra work and doing that thing with
(30:07):
my fingers for government employees here in Minnesota, that these
counties are all going to go and jack up your
property taxes, it makes me wonder whether or not they
saw an opportunity to simply take more money from you,
And where is that money going to end up going
If they commit to making sure that your property tax
dollars that they are increasing to the tune of one
(30:29):
billion dollars next year, is actually going to go to
increase the workload or load or buy new equipment.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Okay, but it's going to follow up on that.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
And with the amount of corruption that we've already seen
in the state, one would be stupid to not question
where that extra money coming in is actually going. He
has another piece out today, part two of why the
property taxes are rising. Yesterday he looked at the coming
from the federal action. As I just mentioned today, he
(31:03):
looks at the pressures coming from state government. So in
Ramsey County they improved a levy hike of nine point
seven percent, or thirty eight point six million. The Pioneer
Press reports the biggest drivers of expenses are unfunded mandates
from the State of Minnesota, employee compensation, and directing resources
(31:23):
to our core services and improving our organizational performance. This
is according to county manager Lynn ling Becker in September.
So what are unfunded mandates? A former Triton schools As
Superintendent Craig Schikta Ling explained in February in the Dodge
(31:44):
County Independent, unfunded mandate is any policy or requirement that
is created by legislation without sufficient funding to cover the
cost of implementation. One example of an unfunded mandate is
summer unemployment for our wage world workers who do not
work you around. I seem to recall talking about that
at length on the show in the past, and how
(32:08):
Republicans call that into question didn't matter though they were
ignored by Democrats. For the first to two years, the
state allocated one hundred and thirty five million toward unemployment
payments for those staff members, which is not enough to
cover the projected expense until twenty twenty seven, as the
(32:29):
money has already been estimated to run out before this
summer is over. This will end up costing the Triton
School District about fifty thousand dollars every single year. Oh
and then we get to paid family medical leave, paid
for through the employment tax of zero point seven percent
on wages, with the costs allowed to be shared between
(32:51):
employers and employees. There is no state aid to support
the increase for employers for the Triton School District. Again,
this increase is going to cost about twenty eight thousand
dollars per year when you start to look at the
combined impact of all the mandates and increased expenses at
the district. In this case, you have no choice but
(33:14):
to either cut staff or to ask the legislature for help.
In Scott County, which is proposing a roughly ten percent
hike on his property tax levies, the deputy county Administrator,
Dan Lentz told the Star Tribune the county has to
cover eight hundred and sixty four thousand in higher costs
from the state due to the new paid family leave
law and changes.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
In social service programs.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
So not only are you going to get screwed on
your paycheck because the government is forcing you to pay
for other individuals paid family medical leave, of which you
can just simply provide any excuse you'd like to go
and take that time off. So if you don't go
and take that time off, then you are paying for
somebody else's. Now you can go and take that time off,
but you do that to your own risk. Don't think
(34:03):
for a second that employers aren't going to be looking
at new hires and making sure that they are really
doing a deep.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Dive into this, into these individuals.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Who want to go and work for a particular business,
knowing that if they hire the wrong individual they could
absolutely go and take advantage of the paid family medical leave.
And this is before we even get to the concerns
of what it's going to do to businesses because of
the costs, well, you're going to have to shoulder some
of that cost in your rising property taxes next year.
(34:35):
Then you get to the issue of fraud, which is
where I want to go now from Fox nine. In
a matter of weeks, Minnesota will introduce a new paid
family medical leave program. The headline is Minnesota officials say
that they're prepared for paid leave rollout on January first.
(35:00):
That's probably the only truth here. They are prepared for
it to roll out, but it's still going to end
up being a disaster. The program, passed by the DFL
controlled legislature in twenty three provides twelve weeks of family
leave annually, twelve weeks of medical leave, or twenty weeks
for a combination of both. Every single time I read
(35:23):
how much time you can take off, I just want
to pull the gray hairs out of my head.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Given the scale of.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
The more than six hundred million dollar program, state officials
in the Minnesota Department of Education and Economic Development say
there are safeguards in place to prevent the kind of
fraud seen in other areas of state government. It certainly
doesn't sound like it, and fraud is only the one
(35:54):
thing to be concerned about on this. I mean, you
start with the businesses themselves having to shoulder the.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Bird, and of the cost.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
What that's going to do to your smaller businesses people
taking advantage of this, What that's going to do to
businesses and their productivity. Even before we get to fraud,
so sins we're talking about fraud.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Let's go there.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
There was a meeting that took place Fraud Committee hearing
about the upcoming paid family medical Leave program. Here is
a one restaurant owner, Troy Reading, expressing concerns about preventing
fraud and misuse in Minnesota's paid family medical leave program.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Here's what he had to say.
Speaker 7 (36:36):
Thank you, Madam chair, Good morning members. My name is
Troy Reading. I own and operate Ally Restaurants, which operates
Holman's Table here in Saint Paul and Rocky Elm tavern
in Plymouth. We currently employ one hundred and five people
to operate our two locations and our food truck. We're
extremely proud of the culture we've built at Ally Restaurants,
(36:57):
providing our employees with a flexible and inclusive work of environment,
and offering healthcare, including mental health care that's fully funded
by us as the employer, with a robust PTO program
for our salary to back of those employees in an
opt out company matching for one k over time. I
have raised concerns with the implementation of paid Family leap program. Specifically,
(37:22):
I'm concerned at what protections are in place to prevent
fraud and how DEED will prevent misuse. A challenge we
have seen with earned sick and Safe time, which the
Department of Labor is working to address through rulemaking, is misuse.
For example, if we have an employee utilizing ESST, creating
a gap in our staff for the day, their colleagues
(37:44):
take on the responsibility will frustrating. This is generally short lived. However,
it impacts the trust on our team. For example, a
team member takes off for EST but is posting pictures
on social media traveling or not use e SST for
the intended purposes. My concerns with the paid family leave
(38:05):
and fraud stems from generally removing the employer from the
leave process. Now our employees will work directly with state
agency for extended periods of leave. We are concerned with
the mechanisms that will be in placed at THEED to
verify that employee is appropriately caring for the designated individual
on leave. What are the mechanisms in place to preclude
(38:26):
an individual from working a second job in Minnesota or
in another state as they are caring for their loved one.
How why is an employer be able to validate raise
abuse issues with the program. Will it mirror the UI
program where I have the ability to denign or rebut
the claim. Thank you, Madam Chair and Committee for your time.
(38:47):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
I have more audio to share from that hearing yesterday.
You are not going to want to miss coming up
on the show. But consider this. Consider how bad the
quality of education here is here in Minnesota.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
How bad it is.
Speaker 1 (39:04):
Graduation rates are up, but only because Governor Tim Walls
and his administration lowered the standards to increase the graduation rates. Well,
you and I both know that when it comes to
reading and math proficiency, half of the students that are
graduating don't know how to do either.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
To the standards given, which aren't very high.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
On top of that, you have the indoctrination taking place,
the critical race theory that's being implemented and already being
utilized within our schools, where too many of our future
workforce leaving high school. They're coming out of high school angry,
ready to do activism, hating Republicans, selfish in the way
(39:47):
that they view the world, believing that everything needs to
come to them, that they don't have to work hard
to achieve anything. Meritocracy has gone up in smoke under
Governor Tim Wallas's administration. And then these individuals are the
people that are going to need to be hired to
do the work if there is any here in Minnesota,
and yet they don't have the work ethic whatsoever. Now,
(40:08):
typically you go and develop that over time working for businesses.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
But if you've gone through.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
A quality education, even before you get to those first jobs,
you should already have instilled a sense of wanting to
do a good job, personal responsibility, and accountability. But we've
nuked those things, well, not we, not you, not me,
not Republicans, Democrats have. So these young people that are
(40:37):
going to be hired at these gigs, at these jobs
underpaid family medical leave, do you really think they're going
to have the level of respect they need for that
job and aren't going to take advantage of being able
to be paid even for a fraction a portion of
what they typically get paid and get twenty the twenty
weeks off a year. Right, more audio coming up. We'll
(41:01):
get to your talkbacks as well. I want to sneak
one in here. We had a comment that rolled into
the iHeartRadio app Talkbacks brought to you by Lyndahl Realty.
This was going back to the property tax increase and
how the workload coming from the one big beautiful bill
relating to Medicaid, how that's increasing causing you to have
to pay more because people in the government are simply
(41:22):
going to have to work harder.
Speaker 8 (41:25):
You don't have no sympathy none whatsoever with the increased
workload and cost for these departments. Not when we watch
nineteen billion dollar surplus disappear for relatively nothing, When we've
got a billion dollar plus Senate office building that never
needed to be built. The way they waste money in
(41:46):
this state, it's hard to find any sympathy for these
departments and these groups that are complaining
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