Smokers' Helpline ready to kick butt
By DAHLIA LIWSZE, Sun MediaThu, December 30, 2004
Sometimes we need a kick in the butt -- literally. A recent study found nearly a third of Ontario smokers plan to make quitting their New Year's resolution. It's difficult, but not impossible.
"Just a few minutes of counselling ... or a little bit of support and assistance over the phone can improve someone's chances of quitting," said Paul McDonald, a professor of health studies at the University of Waterloo who helped start the Smokers' Helpline in 2000.
The helpline receives 8,000-9,000 calls a year from smokers and concerned family and friends in Ontario.
While half quit smoking on their first or second attempt, McDonald said those who fail should not be discouraged.
The Smokers' Helpline provides information, advice and support to help smokers quit and handle their cravings.
While she still has cravings, Debbie Chiniforoush, 43, plans to stay smoke-free. A smoker for 20 years, she hasn't lit up in 15 months.
"I noticed I was getting smoker's mouth, and that really bothered me a lot because I didn't want to look like a crocodile," she said from her Toronto home.
'NAGGED' BY SON
Another reason Chiniforoush quit was her 10-year-old son, who "nagged (her) to death," reminding her that smoking could kill her.
Realizing she needed support, Chiniforoush called the helpline. It and medication helped to make her third attempt at quitting successful.
McDonald said avoiding certain social situations can help to prevent a relapse.
He's optimistic about Ontario's new anti-smoking legislation. Research suggests restrictions increase motivation and the success rate for would-be quitters.
DRUGS, PATCH
While 18,900 Canadians died of lung cancer this year, the picture is not entirely grim. In 2003, 21% of Canadians aged 15 and up smoked, down from 2001.
There are many aids to help smokers quit -- pharmaceutical drugs, the patch, nicotine gum or natural herbal products like Butt Out (www.buttitout.com). * smoking rate still the same (quit rate of more the 6 months considered), with no "cessation aids".
"It basically comes from within," said Chiniforoush. "You have to want to do it. If you don't, then there's really no point."
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/News/2004/12/30/801457-sun.html
Washington, D.C. The MTF survey reported a 7 percent decline in past month use of any illicit drug among 8th-, 10th- and 12-graders combined. However, among 8th-graders, lifetime use of inhalants, such as glue, shoe polish or gasoline, jumped from 15.8 percent in 2003 to 17.3 percent in 2004. Experts called for greater education about the risks of inhalants.
“We are concerned about the increasing number of 8th-graders using inhalants. Research has found that even a single session of repeated inhalant abuse can disrupt heart rhythms and cause death from cardiac arrest or lower oxygen levels enough to cause suffocation,” said NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow.
Inhalant use has been consistently highest among 8th-graders because it is inexpensive and easy to access, but it declined in use among students in all grades after an anti-inhalant media campaign was launched in 1995. The new upward trend led researchers to suggest that not enough teens understand the potentially fatal effects of inhalant use.
“The proportion of young people who believe it is dangerous to use inhalants has declined among both 8th- and 10th-graders over the past three years, which quite possibly explains the rebound in use,” said Dr. Lloyd Johnson, principal investigator of the study at the University of Michigan. “This turnaround in their use continues to suggest the need for greater attention to the dangers of inhalant use in our media messages and in-school prevention programs.”
The MTF survey also showed that teens continue to use alcohol at disturbing rates. For example, 29.2 percent of 12th-graders reported binge drinking in the last two weeks. Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks in a row. Lifetime use of alcohol was 43.9 percent for 8th-graders, 64.2 percent for 10th-graders and 76.8 percent of 12th-graders. High numbers of teens also continue to report using flavored alcoholic beverages, with an annual prevalence rate of 55.8 percent in 2004 and 55.2 percent in 2003. This was the second year that the MTF tracked the use of flavored alcoholic beverages.
Confirming the results of other studies, the MTF survey also showed continued abuse of prescription painkillers, such as Vicodin. In the past year, Vicodin was used by 9.3 percent of 12th-graders, 6.2 percent of 10th-graders and 2.5 percent of 8th-graders. While this was not a significant difference from 2003, officials say it is cause for concern.
Among the drugs reportedly declining in use is marijuana. According to the MTF survey, since the recent peak of marijuana use in 1996, there has been at least a 36 percent decline in the annual prevalence of marijuana use among 8th-graders, from 18.3 percent to 11.8 percent in 2004. Among 10th- and 12th-graders, there was a modest decline in marijuana use. There were also significant increases in the perception of harm from cigarette smoking among 8th- and 10th-graders.
NIDA will discuss the recent findings of the Monitoring the Future survey during a workshop held at CADCA’s National Leadership Forum on January 13. For more on the 2004 Monitoring the Future survey, visit http://monitoringthefuture.org.
http://cadca.org/CoalitionsOnline/article.asp?id=622
Run on tobacco reported in final days before tax -ID
Associated Press
MISSOULA -- Smokers are stocking up in the final days before a state tobacco tax takes effect, with dealers saying they're surprised by an apparent preference for the loose tobacco used in roll-your-own smokes.
"People are throwing the meat out of the freezer and throwing in tobacco," said Robert Lane, manager of Cigarettes Express in Missoula.
Lane said he recently sold one customer a 50-pound bag of tobacco. Bell Pipe and Tobacco Shoppe, also in Missoula, sold a man 24 cans of tobacco, said Betty Anderson, who runs the store with partner Mark Burgad.
Customers appear to be switching to loose tobacco to save money, said Anderson. A box of 200 filtered cigarette tubes, a bag of tobacco and a machine to make the cigarettes runs about $20 -- almost half the price of a carton of 200 manufactured cigarettes. And that carton's price will rise to almost $50 at the beginning of next year.
Other tobacco merchants such as Dorothy Clinkenbeard, who owns Joe's Smoke Ring in Evaro, said she expects customers to shop in neighboring states such as Idaho. Anderson and Burgad said they also expect a decrease in sales, but didn't think it would last.
"It's like gasoline," Burgad said. "How many times have you heard someone say, 'If gasoline goes above $2 a gallon I'm selling my car?"'
The voter-approved tobacco tax increase raises the tax on a pack of cigarettes to $1.70, the tax on an ounce of snuff to 85 cents and the tax on other tobacco products to 50 percent of wholesale. Money generated by the higher tax will be designated for health insurance programs, Medicaid services, veterans homes and the state's general fund.
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?tl=1&display=rednews/2004/12/28/build/state/31-tobaccotax.inc
Smokers stock up on cigarettes to avoid tax hike -AK
Juneau braces for bar-restaurant ban to take effect Jan. 2
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS and JUNEAU EMPIRE December 30, 2004
Customers at Lucky Raven Tobacco in Soldotna are stocking up on cigarettes to avoid a state tax rate increase.
Smokers in Juneau are starting to migrate from restaurants with bars to plain old bars, to avoid a city ban on smoking in the former type of establishment, bartenders said.
Those two laws, one state and one local, will affect smokers in 2005. The state tax starts on New Year's Day. The smoking ban begins Jan. 2.
The tax hike is expected to generate an additional $20 million for the state. Gov. Frank Murkowski sponsored the legislation.
Jack Dean, cashier at Lucky Raven Tobacco, said customers are purchasing up to four times the amount of cigarettes they usually buy.
Mike Patterson, owner of Lucky Raven, said usually when tobacco taxes increase, it hurts businesses. He believes customers will find ways to avoid it, such as buying them online. He also expects a sales increase in cigarette rolling products and cigars, which are not affected by the tax.
Patterson said he thinks this could lead to a decrease in tax revenue, which would be counterproductive.
A pack of cigarettes has been taxed by the state at $1 since October 1997. Lawmakers voted to gradually double the tax. A 60-cent tax hike on each pack of cigarettes will go into effect in January. The tax will go up 20 cents more in 2006 and another 20 cents in 2007.
Not everyone has heard of the tax hike. Mark Rackley, smoking outside Merchants Wharf in Juneau on Wednesday evening, said he didn't know about the increase but it wouldn't affect his use of cigarettes. Rackley said he smokes only occasionally.
Todd Maclay, a bartender at Hangar on the Wharf in Juneau, said he hasn't heard customers talking about the tax increase. But he has heard from customers who are looking for a place to drink and smoke.
A new Juneau ordinance bans smoking in restaurant bars, such as the Hangar. Eventually, in 2008, smoking will be prohibited in all of the city's bars.
"My regulars are starting to gravitate to places they can smoke," Maclay said Wednesday. "Nobody's quit smoking because of the smoking ban."
The Hangar's bartenders estimate that 40 percent to 50 percent of their regular customers smoke. Smokers aren't going to want to step outside and smoke in bad weather, he said.
Right now, the state takes in about $46 million each year from the tax, said Johanna Bales, program manager for tobacco tax for the state of Alaska. Seventy-six percent of the tax is earmarked for the school fund, which is dedicated to school construction. The rest goes to the state's general fund.
Department of Revenue officials said the last time the tobacco tax was raised in 1997, they lost about $7 million the first year due to stockpiling.
The entire amount of revenue generated from the increase will be for the state's general fund, she said. Almost 9 percent of that money will go toward the Tobacco Use Education and Cessation fund, which is designed to help smokers stop.
Bales said the state pays out about $125 million each year for smoking-related illnesses.
• Juneau Empire reporter Eric Fry contributed to this story.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/123004/loc_20041230003.shtml
Tobacco products fly off store shelves -ID
By JOHN FITZGERALD Of The Gazette Staff
Tobacco products are leaving store shelves in a hurry in anticipation of an increase in the state sales tax that begins with the new year.
"It's been a little crazy in here," said Tobacco Country manager Elizabeth Hall, saying customers who used to buy one or two cartons are now buying six at a time.
The voter-approved increase boosts the tax on a pack of cigarettes from 70 cents a pack to $1.70. That will put a pack of Marlboros, the most popular brand, at around $4.65 a pack, or around $45.75 for a 10-pack carton. The tax on an ounce of snuff is also going up to 85 cents.
Money generated by the higher tax will be designated for health insurance programs, Medicaid services, veterans homes and the state's general fund.
Bob Pribyl, co-owner of Tobacco Row, said there is some confusion about when the tax increase will take effect. While the tobacco stamps will switch over on Jan. 1, he is unsure whether 2004 tobacco stamps will be available at 2004 prices or at new 2005 prices. To solve the problem, he plans to sell his inventory down to the bare minimum, then switch to new prices as he restocks.
"I expect my shelves to be empty by the end of the week," he said.
Hall, manager of the two Tobacco Country stores at 895 Main St. and 1500 Broadwater Ave., said cigarettes have made special stocking stuffers this year.
"We're never open on Christmas Eve, but this year we were open and both stores raked it in. People were asking me if we gift wrapped," she said.
Pribyl, co-owner of Tobacco Row stores at 635 Wicks Lane and 2450 King Ave. W., senses something more sinister as a result of the tax increase.
"I know we're going to see a lot of black market activity," he said. "This is a concern of mine - people finding other means of getting their cigarettes."
In Missoula, dealers are surprised by an apparent preference for the loose tobacco used in roll-your-own smokes.
"People are throwing the meat out of the freezer and throwing in tobacco," said Robert Lane, manager of Cigarettes Express in Missoula.
Lane said he recently sold one customer a 50-pound bag of tobacco. Bell Pipe and Tobacco Shoppe, also in Missoula, sold a man 24 cans of tobacco, said Betty Anderson, who runs the store with partner Mark Burgad.
Customers appear to be switching to loose tobacco to save money, said Anderson. A box of 200 filtered cigarette tubes, a bag of tobacco and a machine to make the cigarettes runs about $20 - almost half the price of a carton of 200 manufactured cigarettes. And that carton's price will rise to almost $50 at the beginning of next year
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/12/30/build/local/20-tax.inc
KCKPD arrest man on suspicion of theft -KS
By Melissa Shuman
Kansan Staff Writer
Christopher M. Rhodes, 20, was arrested on Kansas City, Kan. charges by the Kansas City, Kan. police Tuesday, said Capt. Ron Copeland of the Shawnee Police. No information on the KCK charges were made available from the KCKPD.
The Kansas City, Kan. man was also arrested on charges of stealing cartons of cigarettes in the Shawnee area.
Capt. Copeland said Rhodes is also charged with three thefts in Shawnee, three in Overland Park and one in Roland Park.
"This individual lives in Kansas City, Kan. and very likely has committed similar thefts over there," Copeland said. "I would suspect he was re-selling them or even trading them for drugs."
Copeland said Rhodes would enter a convenience store, walk behind the counter and pick up a few cartons of cigarettes and leave the store. Police believe the crimes were committed without the use of a weapon. Copeland also said although store clerks were usually present during the crimes, stores didn't stop the man - possibly for safety reasons. Cigarette carton thefts are not unusual, Copeland said, because some convenience stores do not lock up cigarettes, and because cartons are small and have a high value.
"The most recent theft was at Quick Trip in Shawnee," Copeland said. "There were two cartons stolen that were valued at $58 - usually in these thefts, they won't grab more than a few cartons."
Copeland said the best way convenience stores can stop the theft of cigarette cartons is to lock them in a case.
"It's a common crime," he said. "If they could just lock up the area where the cigarettes are, it would probably solve the whole problem."
http://www.kansascitykansan.com/articles/2004/12/30/news/local/news2.txt
Man Takes Smoke Break, Is Attacked -AL
The man tells police he was standing in a parking lot, smoking a cigarette when he was attacked. He says 2 guys came up to him and asked for a smoke. It happened outside A - Z Pawn Shop on Pratt Avenue in Huntsville on November 22nd. The man claims one of the guys hit him in the head and the other one pulled a knife on him and tried to take his car keys. Lucky for the man, his friend saw what was going on and chased the two guys away. He then took his friend to the hospital to get treated.
Dial 53-CRIME if you can help lead police to the two men who did this. You'll remain anonymous, and if your tip leads to an arrest, you could get up to $1,000.
http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=2730472&nav=0hBEUh7c
N.C. ruling could mean $100 million budget hole for Kentucky KY
The Associated Press
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- A North Carolina court ruling could make Kentucky responsible for paying more than $100 million in the current budget period to tobacco farmers, but the impact won't be clear for weeks, Gov. Ernie Fletcher's chief of staff said.
The possibility has created an obstacle for the governor's budget work, chief of staff Stan Cave said Wednesday.
"That ruling has been a setback to us in pulling this together, our ideas for the next budget," Cave said. "We're still analyzing the effect of it and how much money we may have to come up with."
The North Carolina judge released tobacco companies from making payments to farmers in Kentucky and 13 other states.
"The issue is that there is a state law that says the state has to make up the shortfall - if they are not made by the tobacco companies," Cave said.
The ruling has been appealed, however, by Kentucky and six other states. Because of that and because of other legal and policy questions raised by the order, Cave said it would be weeks before the issue is cleared up.
But he said an early analysis of the ruling showed the impact could be well over $100 million for the current budget period - which runs through June 30, 2006 - if the state must cover the loss.
The issue comes on top of other problems - including a $526 million shortfall in the Medicaid program - the governor and the legislature will face in balancing and passing a budget during the legislative session that will convene Tuesday.
The tobacco-related budget problem stems from a series of events that began in 1998 with the Master Settlement Agreement. Under that plan, tobacco companies agreed to make continuing payments - known as Phase I payments - to nearly all states to settle litigation over state costs to treat the health effects of smoking.
That was followed by another agreement by the companies to compensate tobacco farmers for losses they were expected to suffer under higher cigarette prices resulting from the Master Settlement Agreement. Those are known as Phase II payments.
After Congress approved a $10.1 billion buyout of tobacco quota holders last fall, the cigarette companies argued they were no longer obliged to make a final $189 million Phase II payment this month to farmers in 14 tobacco-growing states. The buyout ends these payments.
The North Carolina judge agreed and ruled last week that the companies should get a refund of payments made earlier this year.
The Kentucky law specifies that if the annual payments from tobacco companies to farmers fall short of $114 million, then the state will pay the difference out of half of the proceeds it gets each year under the Master Settlement Agreement. Those proceeds are placed in the Agricultural Development Fund for grants to help farmers diversify their crops.
The immediate problem, if the court ruling stands, is that there is not enough money in the development fund to cover an obligation of $114 million. The fund gets from $50 million to $55 million a year and the money it has is committed, said Michael Plumley, an assistant attorney general in Kentucky.
Keith Rogers, executive director of the Gov.'s Office of Agricultural Policy that oversees Kentucky's share of Master Settlement money, said he believes the law was intended to cover a small Phase II shortfall and not a situation in which an annual payment was not made at all.
"The General Assembly knew there would never be $114 million in the development fund in any given year," Rogers said. "There would not ever be that kind of money coming into that fund. So therefore you have to assume that they did not intend for the state to make that full Phase II payment should one ever be made.
http://newsobserver.com/news/ncwire_news/story/1972514p-8346897c.html
Michel expects quick action from legislators -MN
By James Zwilling Sun Newspapers (Created 12/30/2004
With a projected state budget deficit of $700 million that tops $1 billion with inflation built in, Edina’s legislators said they can’t afford not to fix the problem during 2005 legislative session.
The city’s three elected Republicans recently shared their goals for the upcoming session with the Sun-Current.
Rep. Ron Erhardt
Rep. Ron Erhardt, R-41A, said legislators have no other option than making the state’s budget deficit their top priority.
“Everyone’s top goal has to be to satisfy the budget,” he said. “We won’t know until February exactly what we’re working on, but right now the figure is over $1 billion with inflation.”
Erhardt said the state’s legislators disappointed the public in 2004.
“People were definitely upset,” he said. “We’re going to have to see a little more horse trading this year if we expect to get things done.”
Erhardt said he believes the state Senate has more incentive to negotiate this year and that Gov. Tim Pawlenty is anxious to see some results from the state’s legislators.
One area he hopes to see dramatic changes is in transportation funding, he said.
Erhardt, who serves as the chairman of the House Transportation Policy Committee, said he expects a major transportation plan to include bonding but also other increases working along with it such as a gas tax increase, which he said he would support.
“It looks like all of the plans that are coming forward are calling for some type of increase,” he said. “The problem is that the position that the governor and others have taken about no new taxes is a wall that doesn’t seem to be bending.”
Erhardt did not sign the “No New Taxes Pledge” in 2004.
Erhardt said there is too much that needs to be done for transportation in the state including additional lanes and some reconstruction in the metro area, rebuilding of roads in the rural areas of the state and more transit options.
“We need to fix roads and bridges and add lanes,” he said. “But when it comes down to it, transit gets people off the roads.”
Erhardt said light rail has performed successfully and attracted riders, but he said that no such transit system in the United States pays for itself.
He said bus ridership from the suburbs continues its success, so he hopes to see more of that in any future transportation plans.
Erhardt said legislators can also no longer afford to ignore school districts’ financial burdens.
He said he would support lifting the freeze on per pupil spending and throwing local control to the districts to levy for more money, provided they turn to the voters first.
Erhardt said health care will also remain a top priority for the state’s legislators.
He would like to see the 2 percent provider tax, sometimes called the “Sick Tax” done away with.
The tax affects all health-care providers in the state, who in turn, charge their patients.
“The funding is misplaced,” Erhardt said. “It falls on the shoulders of the sick and limits the access of the low-income residents.”
He said the tax could be replaced by increasing the cigarette tax.
Also on the topic of smoking, Erhardt said he would support a statewide smoking ban.
“There needs to be something uniform,” he said. “But I think it will involve enforcement being left up to local authorities.”
Rep. Neil Peterson
Neil Peterson, R-41B, the newly minted state representative from Bloomington, calls himself the “new kid on the block” and declared his first priority of the 2005 session is to become familiar with the processes and ways of getting things done at the Capital.
“My top goal in this session is just to learn; learn what’s going on and who the players are,” said Peterson. “I want to pick a spot … where I can use my background and experience.
“Part of that is just keeping your eyes open and your mouth shut,” he added. “I think there’s a lot of people over there that do just the opposite.”
The legislators don’t know their committee assignments yet but Peterson hopes to land a seat “where the action is.”
He noted that the GOP majority will be smaller in 2005 – 68-66 over the DFL Party – and suggested bipartisan efforts will be a higher priority.
“It appears to me that because of the change in the majority in the house, all the committees have to be re-balanced,” said Peterson, who claimed the District 41B seat in November. The seat was vacant after the Republican incumbent, Alice Seagren, was named state education commissioner by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Peterson said he hopes to gain posts on committees that can use his experience, but since he has no seniority may not get all he hopes for.
“On my list I had Local Government and Higher Education Finance,” Peterson said. “These are both areas where I have had considerable of exposure.”
Transportation issues will be among those that dominate the session, Peterson said.
“The big issue that I heard of during the campaign is this transportation gridlock,” Peterson said.
Peterson also said the Legislature’s failure to pass a bonding bill in the last session was “unconscionable.”
He said the state’s finance system is too complex.
“I have over the last couple months studied the whole budget thing and I think I’m beginning to understand the substantive parts of it.
“The approach to this ought to be ‘SIBKIS – see it big, keep it simple.’
“That’s where I’m going to start in everything I do there,” Peterson said.
“Education finance is another huge issue,” Peterson said. “It’s an enormous issue.
“The whole system made an extremely bad decision when they changed the whole funding system during the [Jesse] Ventura administration.”
The effect has been to lessen the power of local school districts, Peterson said.
“The people who were there at the time may not want to admit it was a dumb decision. The people who are new don’t own it and don’t understand it.”
Peterson said he believes money for schools must be increased.
“Everybody agrees it ain’t enough,” he said. “They made a quantum leap change and it was a wonderful windfall to people on their residential real estate taxes.
“Everybody loved it.”
Yet now school districts are feeling pressure to raise money for schools in other ways, he noted.
Peterson said he could support a tax increase to boost school funding, “form and details to be determined.
“Philosophically I do not have an objection to a revenue increase. I don’t know where we’re going to get it – but that’s my job now.”
On a casino proposed for Bloomington, Peterson said: “No dice.” The state would have to abrogate previous agreements to establish a casino in Bloomington, he said.
Sen. Geoff Michel
State Sen. Geoff Michel said he is optimistic that legislators will come together on a bipartisan basis to address the state’s fiscal crisis during the upcoming legislative session.
“Balancing the budget and getting the job done on time must be our highest priority,” said the District 41 Republican senator who represents Edina and western Bloomington.
Michel said he expects legislators not to waste their time holding up confirmations and appointments so that they can focus more on the budget, transportation, education, healthcare and other issues.
Michel said he would approach the state’s now estimated $700 million shortfall by looking at the Health and Human Services budget.
“You can’t fix the budget without looking at Health and Human Services,” he said.
The state will spend 26 percent, second in spending only to education, of its 2004-2005 budget on Health and Human Services, according to a February forecast from the Minnesota Department of Finance.
Michel said reducing the $7 billion figure by 10 percent could alone erase the state’s deficit, but he said such a reduction wouldn’t be easy.
“We have to ask ourselves how we treat the less fortunate,” he said. “That will be the greatest challenge we must give the most attention to when looking at any reductions in this area.”
Likewise, Michel said health care would need the attention of state legislators this session.
“We can’t afford to think only about right now,” he said. “We need to start thinking years ahead of now.”
Health care is a personal, business and a jobs issue for Minnesotans, Michel said.
One way he expects future health-care costs to begin decreasing is with the passage of a statewide smoking ban.
“Some version of a smoking ban will pass,” Michel said. “We need something uniform for the entire state.”
He said he believes the passage of many municipal and county bans during the last year has prepared business owners and the public for such a ban.
Finding agreement on a transportation plan, however, may be more of a challenge, Michel said.
“Transportation in Edina and Bloomington is at the top of every resident’s agenda,” he said. “It’s the daily headache we all have to deal with.”
Michel said he would support an increase in the state’s gas tax to aid in road construction costs, but he wouldn’t expect it to be as much as 10 cents a gallon as some groups have suggested.
“I think that if we do see an increase in the gas tax, it would likely be more like 5 cents,” he said. “It would definitely create new revenue, but it still wouldn’t be enough for our needs.”
Michel said the state’s legislators must also look at new revenue options for the state’s schools.
He said he supports inflationary increases in per pupil funding for the state’s schools and allowing individual districts to turn to their own voters to approve levy increases.
“K-12 education must be at the top of our priorities,” Michel said. “It’s the biggest piece of spending.”
He said the state’s freezing of education funding has damaged districts throughout the state already and will continue to do so if something isn’t done.
“It’s time to give them more money,” Michel said.
http://www.mnsun.com/story.asp?city=Edina&story=149940
Local legislators preview 2005 session -MN
By Sue Webber, Teri Kelsh, Justin Piehowski and Marc Ingber
Sun Newspapers
(Created 12/30/2004 4:03:45 PM)
Education, health care and transportation are among the most compelling issues that will be facing the 85th session of the Minnesota Legislature when the gavel sounds Tuesday, Jan. 4.
A large number of freshmen legislators who were elected in November 2004 have spent the last two months attending orientation sessions and learning procedures to be followed.
They, along with lawmakers who have experienced the process in previous sessions, are awaiting Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s budget proposal.
Here is how local legislators see the upcoming issues:
Sen. Ann Rest
Sen. Ann Rest of New Hope, DFL-45, who represents all of Crystal, New Hope and Robbinsdale, and parts of Golden Valley and Plymouth, said adequate and appropriate school funding “always is the number one issue in our area.”
Rest, formerly a teacher in Robbinsdale District 281 schools, served in the Minnesota House from 1984 to 1999. She was elected to her first term in the Senate in 2000.
“Education is the Legislature’s top priority,” Rest said. “Our constituents are telling us over and over again that quality schools make the most difference in people’s lives.”
Rest said she “absolutely will vote to increase education funding.”
She also supports a gas tax increase to fund road construction, Rest said.
“Transportation and transit is key to the economic vitality of the northwest suburbs,” Rest said. “We still have to keep talking about compromises in transportation and transit planning. It’s going to be multi-modal, with light rail and buses. Light rail has been an overwhelming success. People are routinely using it; people really do commute on it. North Star will be another element.”
The state borrowed money in 2003, depending on funding from the federal government, Rest said.
“We’re hundreds of millions of dollars in the hole because they [the federal government] didn’t pass the bill,” Rest said. “We’re just standing still. In transportation, that’s really like going backwards, just like education.”
One of the proposals now on the table would allow single-occupant vehicles to pay to drive in underused high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on Interstate 394, Rest said.
“We’re looking at using what we have and trying to be more efficient in keeping traffic moving,” she said.
Rest is hoping to work to advance a bill this session for an air cargo facility that would allow the Twin Cities metro area to become a major air freight center.
“Now much is trucked as far as Memphis before being sent overseas,” she said. “There are proposals in both the House and the Senate to do that here.”
Health care is another huge cost center for the state, Rest said.
“We need to make sure we continue care for the most vulnerable, and recognize that access to health care is a right, not something to be taken away,” she said. “It’s a very thorny issue. Being efficient doesn’t mean taking it away.”
Though proposals for dealing with the state’s deficit have yet to come, Rest said, “We have an obligation to find a solution. Voters in the 2004 election were very clear about that. They won’t put up with anything less. People who were successful in [the election in] 2004 said everything has to be on the table.”
Rep. Sandy Peterson
Rep.-elect Sandy Peterson of New Hope, DFL-45A, who represents all of New Hope and portions of Crystal and Plymouth, said K-12 education and higher education is her top priority for the upcoming session.
A former Robbinsdale District 281 school teacher who most recently was vice president of Education Minnesota, the state teacher’s union, Peterson said, “The schools have been starved for years here.”
As she campaigned door to door last fall, she said, “The public realizes that our future is in an educated society.”
Citizen groups have tried to raise funds to buy teachers and pay for supplies that should be the responsibility of the school system, she said.
“We’ve got to get real here about what we need to do,” Peterson said. “With the changing diversity, we need to realize people cannot teach effectively with 29 to 35 kids in a class.”
Transportation needs are especially important to the business community, Peterson said. “We can’t continue the way we’re going,” she said.
Regarding the budget, Peterson said voters are “so disgusted.”
“They see now that the cuts and the money we got back [in rebates from then-Gov. Ventura] were not advantageous in looking to the future,” Peterson said. “People are frustrated.”
The governor has said there will be no new taxes, and yet people are paying franchise fees, increased costs for higher education and taxes have skyrocketed, Peterson said.
“We’re paying, one way or the other,” she said.
She is adamant that no more taxes be shifted to local property owners, and that no more Local Government Aid (LGA) funds be taken away from local communities.
“We’ve really suffered from that loss,” Peterson said.
Peterson said she believes voters expect the Legislature to start working on Day l, rather than waiting until the end and then requesting a special session to complete their work.
“The voters are very, very tired of bipartisan issues,” Peterson said. “The people sent us a message. They want some partnerships, and spirited but respectful debate. Because of the 68-66 split [between Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature], I think it’s possible. I hope that will be our legacy as a new group – to come to some compromises and agreements that make sense.”
Rep. Ron Latz
Rep. Ron Latz, DFL-44B, who represents Golden Valley and St. Louis Park, said by the end of the 2005 legislative session he expects legislators to balance the budget in a “fair and reasonable manner and pass a capital bonding bill that meets the infrastructure needs across the state.”
Also high on his priority list for the session is garnering sufficient funding for K-12 education. Latz suggests the Legislature increase per pupil funding at the very least by the rate of inflation. He also supports raising the levy cap and giving local school districts the authority to levy to the rate of inflation without seeking a referendum from voters.
Latz said he will push for restoring funding for early childhood education, which he described as being at “bare bones.”
“It’s the most cost-effective approach we can take to educating our children,” said Latz. “It’s an incredible return on our investment.”
In the last legislative session, Latz authored a bill to ban smoking statewide. It didn’t pass. But this year he plans to re-submit the bill and is more confident of its approval.
He expects the smoking issue to be a major factor in the Legislature relating to the cost of health care.
“Smoking is a toxic health hazard. For two reasons I support a ban: One is improve the health of workers in bars and restaurants; two, to reduce healthcare costs. Smoking is a significant portion of what’s driving up healthcare costs in Minnesota,” said Latz.
He also supports Blue Cross/Blue Shield’s proposal to increase the cigarette tax by $1.
When it comes to transportation, Latz said he wants to see “balanced funding for a balanced system.” He supports raising the gas tax to at least 5 cents a gallon. These dedicated funds would go toward constructing roads and bridges. Specifically, he wants some of the money used in St. Louis Park to remove the bottleneck on Highway 100.
“I would like to see a source of funding for light rail, high speed bus lines and more bus lines. It all has to work together. We can’t just keep building more roads,” said Latz.
Rep. Lyndon Carlson
As Rep. Lyndon Carlson, DFL-Crystal, prepares to head into his 33rd legislative session in as many years, he sees the budget as “the overwhelming issue.”
Carlson, who represents Crystal, Robbinsdale, and a portion of Golden Valley, said he has several priorities within the budget, but atop his list is seeing that a good bonding bill is passed early in the session.
Another key piece to this year’s budget, according to Carlson, is to make sure that public education, both K-12 and higher education, are funded adequately all across the state.
He is particularly concerned about two issues relating to education: Early Childhood Education and All-Day Kindergarten. If the Legislature is not able to extend these opportunities to children all across the state, Carlson would at least like to see them expand this year.
Carlson is also concerned about the skyrocketing tuition costs at the University of Minnesota and at Minnesota’s State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU).
A lack of funding will lead to lower quality schools and will hinder ability for some students to access higher education at all, Carlson explained.
Carlson said that his first preference is for the state to fund all education across the state adequately, but if that doesn’t happen, he said school districts “may be a need some flexibility with their [tax] levy limits.”
Trying to pass legislation that will allow people to have access to prescription drugs at reasonable costs will be the “core issue” surrounding the health care debate at the Capitol this winter, Carlson said.
He added that he expects the legislature find ways to encourage residents to lead healthier lifestyles.
Carlson supports a statewide smoking ban in bars and restaurants as well as the right of local governments to ban smoking within their jurisdictions. He feels this issue should be covered by the broadest jurisdiction possible to ensure “a level playing field.”
The issue of a gas tax to increase transportation funding will need to be addressed this session, Carlson said. He pointed out that the business community is generally supportive of a gas tax.
However, legislators are still unsure of how Gov. Tim Pawlenty will act if a bill proposing a gas tax crosses his desk, Carlson explained.
As far as transportation projects are concerned, Carlson said he is very supportive of the Northstar Rail Line, as well as the Northwest Corridor Busway along Bottineau Boulevard (County Road 81).
Regarding the busway, Carlson said he’d like to see the neighborhoods involved with more of the planning, so residents know exactly where it is going to run.
Carlson said to realistically solve the budget deficit of at least $700 million, legislators are going to have to look at a way to bring in more revenue, which may mean tax increases.
“One of the reasons Minnesota has had such a strong economy is that we’ve invested adequately in K-12 and higher education,” Carlson explained. “Hopefully, Minnesota residents will look at how those investments have paid dividends over the years and be willing to continue investing in people.”
Carlson said he welcomes comments from constituents throughout the session. He can be reached by phone at 651-296-4255 or by email at rep.lyndon.carlson@house.mn.
Sen. Steve Kelley
Sen. Steve Kelley of Hopkins, DFL-44, represents all or part of Golden Valley, Hopkins and St. Louis Park.
Kelley said that his No. 1 goal for the upcoming legislative session was to adequately fund public schools in Minnesota. A lack of funding is not only a problem in Golden Valley, Hopkins and St. Louis Park, he said.
“All around the state, schools are hurting,” Kelley said. “We have to reverse that trend for Minnesota to remain a great education state.”
In addition to supplying more funding for schools, it’s important to develop a pay system for teachers that is in the hands of each district and local officials, he said. Seniority and experience can’t be the only factors in determining teachers’ pay, he said.
“We have to go to the governor and others and say, ‘The needs of our students have to come first,’” he said.
He expects the Legislature to pass a balanced budget in the upcoming session, he said, which would include funding for education and transportation.
He said there is a need to widen Highway 100 in St. Louis Park and he would support a gas tax to fund road construction.
“Even the Chamber of Commerce realizes we have to invest in our transportation infrastructure,” Kelley said.
He said borrowing money to pay for road construction doesn’t work. Other transportation issues Kelley would like to work on include the elimination of highway bottlenecks and investing in more transit options.
He said he would support a statewide smoking ban, provided he approves of all the conditions in the bill, because the public health benefits are numerous. Many communities have passed smoking bans, he said, recognizing the health benefits, and now it’s time to move to a statewide ban to create consistency among all the communities.
Other health issues that should be addressed include Medicaid and stem cell research, he said.
“We have to make sure our residents in nursing homes are taken care of,” Kelley said of rising Medicaid costs. He also said it is critical for the state to explore stem-cell research.
He is in favor of lifting school district levy limits, he said, but was unsure what would pan out in the upcoming legislative session.
“I support doing it and I hope we can get something done,” he said, “but I’m not sure it will happen. It’s a controversial issue.”
Another of Kelley’s goals for the upcoming session is to get moving on a bonding bill for St. Louis Park very early, he said.
A successful budget plan will help support Minnesota’s strengths, he said.
“The governor has the responsibility to propose a budget that doesn’t use gimmicks or tricks,” hesaid.
What’s next
A town hall meeting with Sen. Ann Rest, Rep. Lyndon Carlson and Rep. Sandy Peterson is scheduled for 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Crystal City Hall, 4141 Douglas Drive.
Town hall meetings with local legislators Rep. Steve Simon, Rep. Ron Latz and Sen. Steve Kelley are scheduled for 7 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 24 in Golden Valley; 7 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 31, Hopkins; and 10 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 5, St. Louis Park.
Specific locations have yet to be determined.
http://www.mnsun.com/story.asp?city=Golden_Valley&story=149989
Local legislators preview 2005 session -MN
By Mike Hanks, Troy Pieper and Sally Thompson
Sun Newspapers (Created 12/30/2004 4:04:35 PM)
Balancing the budget is without a doubt the No. 1 priority for most legislators this upcoming session.
Rep. Steve Smith
As chairman of the House Judiciary Policy and Finance Committee, Rep. Steve Smith, R-33A, helps oversee public safety issues.
“Our focus will include revision of the state’s sexual offender laws so as to get the ‘worst of the worst,’ the violent sexual predator off the streets for good and locked up for life,” he said.
Strengthening laws dealing with methamphetamine producers and putting them out of business is another focus, Smith said.
“And in general, our focus is to ensure that when your son or daughter leaves home in the morning, that at the end of the day, they will come home safe,” he said.
Before the end of the 2005 legislative session, Smith said he expected legislators to pass a biennial state budget setting priorities and doing the work of the state, without raising taxes.
Smith said he does not support a statewide smoking ban.
As far as health care, “Minnesota has the best health care available,” he said. “It is also a fact that Minnesota ranks No. 1 in the nation in percentage of residents covered by health insurance. It is a fact that only one-third of 1 percent of our population is uninsured.
“We will attack the cost of prescription drugs and health insurance with these keys: increase competition from sellers; expand consumer choices; reduce law suits and red tape and provide tax incentives to empower consumers to make wiser health choices.
While Smith stands firm with “no new taxes,” he said better roads leading to quicker commutes can be provided through dedication of the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax (MVET) to transportation. Also, using state government bonding for road construction is possible.
Saying he would support an increase in funding for K-12 education as well as lifting local school district levy limits, Smith said, “How money is allocated to school districts by the Legislature is as important as how much money is allocated.
“We need to simplify the system and put more money into the per-pupil formula, which treats every child the same and roll back the volume of state mandates the Legislature previously has placed on our local schools and boards.”
To deal with the deficit, the Legislature should continue the reform started when Gov. Tim Pawlenty was elected two years ago, and that means balancing the budget without raising taxes.
Spending must be prioritized, and state government must be reformed, he said.
Smith can be reached at Minnesota House of Representatives, 543 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155, by calling 651-296-9188 or by e-mailing him at rep.steve.smith@house.mn.
Rep. Barb Sykora
Education finance, cost containment for health care and a long-range transportation plan to alleviate congestion in the metropolitan area are among the priorities of sixth-term state Rep. Barb Sykora, R-33B, this legislative session.
As chair of the Education Finance Committee, Sykora will lead a group of state legislators who will be looking at how the state funds its schools, and how to find more money for them. She supports allowing individual districts to seek higher operating levies from their voters. Districts with property wealth should be allowed to provide additional financing for education, if their voters choose to do so, noting that the state’s funding formula “is not as fair as it could be,” she said.
In addition to providing districts with more money, the committee will also “try and find a better way of paying teachers,” according to Sykora. She supports a concept that provides economic rewards for teachers based upon their classroom results and willingness to participate in the professional development of other educators. Performance initiatives provide greater incentive to teachers than a negotiated wage percentage increase, and will help attract new teachers, Sykora explained.
Solutions to containing health-care costs will not be easy to come by, according to Sykora, but “we’ve got to come up with some ways to control those increases.” Allowing small business owners and farmers the ability to pool their money across a greater population to obtain less expensive health care is one reform that is needed, Sykora said. She also expects discussion to resurface regarding a limit on financial claims in lawsuits pertaining to health care and further discussion on lowering costs for prescription drugs.
A long-range transportation plan is another of Sykora’s key issues. “Most of the rural areas don’t see transportation as a major problem,” she noted. “For the metro it’s a major issue,” she added. “We’ve got to do something to relieve congestion.”
To that end there is no single answer. Building new highways or extending light rail service won’t solely resolve transportation issues, she said.
Sykora supports the exploration of personal rapid transit, a concept developed at the University of Minnesota that has greater potential than light rail transit. It can be developed at a lower cost, and provides greater flexibility as users would travel along a rail system in smaller cars, and at their convenience rather than on a set schedule, she explained.
Sykora supports an increase in the state’s gasoline tax, acknowledging that there’s disagreement over how much is acceptable. If the tax is increased, she would like to see the allocation formula revisited, as the metropolitan counties, especially Hennepin County, do not receive enough in return for their contributions, according to Sykora.
While earmarking a higher percentage of automobile sales tax to transportation would be beneficial, to do so would leave a hole in the general fund budget, she noted.
Sykora does not see a need for the state to consider a smoking ban. That decision is best left with city and county units of government, she said.
The state has a variety of issues to address this session, and Sykora is optimistic many of those will be resolved. “I expect us to reach an agreement on our budget deficit,” she said, noting it is smaller than the deficit the state reached during the last biennium. Reaching a budget agreement will help the House, Senate and governor solve other state issues, she noted.
Sen. Gen Olson
“Our overall priority this session is a balanced budget, and I will be playing a part in that” said Sen. Gen Olson, R-33.
Olson said that an important issue for her in the upcoming session would also be the spread of zebra mussels. “We need to put more effort into controlling zebra mussels in this region and in areas where they haven’t spread yet,” she said.
She plans to meet with the Department of Natural Resources and the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District to find ways of combating the problem such as a labeling system for boats that have been in contaminated water.
One interesting goal of Olson’s is to raise the “personability and acceptability” of personal rapid transit, or PRT. PRT would be a new transit infrastructure comprised of an elevated rail and automated two- to three-person cars that run on electricity. A working system has never been built, but a local company is developing the technology with support from the private and public sectors, according to several Minneapolis newspapers. “It’s not likely to need subsidies, it’s as green as you can get, and it will relieve pressure on roads,” said Olson, who does not support a gas tax to pay for more roads.
However, the senator does want to see more roads built, and hopes to “keep the pace we’ve had in the last several years,” which included money for roads in last session’s bonding bill, she said.
Olson believes the whole system of funding for education in Minnesota needs to be revisited. She said she hopes to add to the formula for education funding, allowing for the decisions on referendum levies to be made locally. “If they want to spend additional money, I would like to see support for that, but I do not want to see the total removal of the cap on levies,” Olson said.
Another decision that should be made on a more local level, according to Olson, is on smoking bans. She said she does not support a statewide ban; local businesses and communities should make that determination. She would support it, she said, if the federal government “stopped subsidizing tobacco production and ended its addiction to the cigarette tax.”
Olson plans to push for changes in the state healthcare system that would encourage people to have what she called “health savings accounts.” The accounts, which would use pre-tax dollars, would ease the burden on employers, she said. “That’s part of the mix, but it’s a direction we ought to be making more attractive,” Olson said.
The senator said the Minnesota teachers union promotes a statewide pool for the acquisition of health insurance. “This would be a further drain from our districts, which are already at a disadvantage,” she said.
The 2005 legislative session begins Jan. 4.
http://www.mnsun.com/story.asp?city=Orono&story=150079
Apple Valley, Rosemount legislators discuss upcoming session -MN
By Erica Christoffer Sun Newspapers (Created 12/30/2004 3:48:11 PM)
A projected $700 million deficit, K-12 funding, a bonding bill and transportation are only a few of the issues the legislators from Apple Valley and Rosemount will address during the upcoming 2005 state legislative session.
The representation has changed slightly, however, since last year. Sen. Chris Gerlach, R, will begin his first session in the Senate representing District 37, which serves Apple Valley and Burnsville. Gerlach won a special election this past summer to fill the remaining two years of the term vacated by Dave Knutson.
Rep. Lloyd Cybart, R, now represents House District 37A, defeating Shelly Madore, DFL, to win his first term in office. The seat formerly belonged to Gerlach.
And long-time legislator Rep. Dennis Ozment, R, will begin his 11th term representing residents in Rosemount and Apple Valley House District 37B.
As the session gets underway Jan. 4, local legislators are also expected to discuss a statewide smoking ban, health care and environmental issues.
Sen. Chris Gerlach
Passing the Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transit is Gerlach’s top priority for his district. Last year, $10 million was dedicated for the project in the bonding bill that passed in the House but failed in the Senate.
“We’re getting short changed from MnDOT and the Met Council in the Dakota County area,” Gerlach said. “We’re only getting 34 cents on the dollar from our gas tax contributions as well.”
As far as light rail, Gerlach said it is too expensive and requires too many subsidies.
“It seems to be more about local economic development than it does moving people from point A to point B,” Gerlach said. “Bus lines seem to be about a fourth of the cost and they’re flexible in that you can change routes and you can change them to meet changing demographic patterns.”
Gerlach opposes a gas tax increase under the current distribution formula, which puts Dakota County as one of 11 counties that pays more than it receives.
“We need to equalize that out a little bit,” Gerlach said. “The money is not going to where it’s needed.”
Gerlach said he would not support a state-enacted smoking ban because he said the issue will take care of itself though the free market.
“More and more restaurants and establishments are going smoke free because they find that in the marketplace, their customers demand it,” Gerlach said. “We don’t have to have the government jump in on everything and dictate it. Let’s let it follow its natural course and you’ll find more and more smoke-free places over time.”
On health care, Gerlach said he expects legislation regarding federal conformity with the health savings accounts.
“We have to start here and that’s going to help kick-start the health savings account market,” he said.
Gerlach also foresees a proposal to reduce tax assessments on small businesses for health care by raising the cigarette tax. It will mean lower premium costs for employers and employees. However, Gerlach said he is undecided on the issue.
In terms of funding for K-12 education, Gerlach said he would support an increase.
“I don’t intend on raising taxes. I think there’s enough wiggle room left in the budget. It’s just a question of the decisions we have to make,’’ he said. “The goal is to achieve that inflationary increase.”
Gerlach said the budget for Health and Human Services is projected to increase by 20 percent. He said he hopes for less of an increase to cover costs in education as well as the projected deficit.
“You can’t take the compassion out of it,” Gerlach said. Health and Human Services needs to serve those who truly need the safety net, he said, as well as connecting people with their health care decisions and the costs and bring competition into the health care marketplace.
Gerlach called the projected deficit of $700 million “manageable.”
As for the bonding bill and the Minnesota Zoo’s request for exhibit expansion funds, Gerlach said he supports reviving the state institution.
“It’s time now for the Legislature to step up and fulfill their obligation and make sure that the zoo has what it needs to be successful,” Gerlach said. “I don’t know what the exact dollar amount will be, but I’ll be supportive of whatever the governor comes forth with.”
Last year the zoo requested $68 million from the state and Gov. Tim Pawlenty proposed a dedication of $34 million. However, because the bonding bill never passed, the zoo didn’t see any appropriation.
The thread that runs through all the various topics this year is “we have to get the job done,” Gerlach said. “I’m excited about it. I’m coming at this stuff from a whole different angle now.”
Sen. Chris Gerlach can be reached at 651-296-4120 or 952-432-4100 or by e-mail at sen.chris.gerlach@senate.mn.
Rep. Lloyd Cybart
While door knocking during his campaign this fall, Cybart said one of the most common comments he heard regarded the gridlock last year in the Legislature.
The freshman representative hopes to move issues forward in the House while representing his district during the 2005 session.
One issue he hopes to address is the bonding bill. Cybart said he supports the $34 million the governor had earmarked for the Minnesota Zoo’s exhibit expansion.
“I’m sure it will be along the same lines,” Cybart said.
As far as a smoking ban, Cybart said he supports local control rather than the state taking on the issue.
Health care is also going to be a huge issue this session, Cybart said, “with the runaway costs, something has to be done.”
Ideas he foresees being discussed are health savings accounts, tort reform and curbing state expenses, specifically in Health and Human Services and its anticipated 20 percent budget increase, he said. That increase will need to be dealt with to keep deficit spending down, Cybart said.
On the issue of a gas tax increase, Cybart said he would not support it under the current distribution formula.
“It’s a lop-sided formula, the rural areas get more than the suburban areas,” Cybart said. “If we raise the gas tax it’s still a disproportionate amount of the taxes coming back to Dakota County to fix our problems.”
Cybart’s top priority in transportation is the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line along Cedar Avenue as well as similar transit options along the Interstate 35W corridor in Burnsville to alleviate congestion and bottlenecks into the cities.
