Name: Abe Sauer: Why does Hagedorn treat Minnesotans like chumps?
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Abe Sauer: Why does Hagedorn treat Minnesotans like chumps?

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ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT|It’s almost certainly unconstitutional. But there should be an eligibility amendment requiring all democratically elected representatives of Congress to have first served in some kind of local office. Yes, even if it’s just as dog catcher. Because even a city dog catcher understands that local budgeting is more complex than blue-red, left-right cliches. Few city offices are singularly “blue” or “red.” This seems entirely lost on Rochester’s First District Rep. Jim Hagedorn who, not surprisingly given his rhetoric, never held elected office anywhere before Congress. Not even as dog catcher.On Dec. 21 and again this week, Rep. Hagedorn slammed federal relief spending as a “massive bailout… for poorly managed and broke blue states and cities.” This week he added, “No bailouts to states like New York, Illinois, New Jersey, California, Minnesota …” There is legitimate debate to be had about the right dollar level, to whom it should go and for how long for spending. But the characterization of Minnesota and its cities as undeserving of relief demonstrates that Rep. Hagedorn takes the taxpayers in Rochester for chumps.Last October, our city announced that “Rochester has once again received the highest municipal credit rating possible of AAA/Aaa by Moody's and Standard &amp; Poor’s.” The city also received a “Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Finance Reporting.” It’s recognition that Rochester has received the highest municipal financial ratings for more than 50 years, the longest of any city in the state of Minnesota. Does Rep. Hagedorn consider this “poorly managed” or “broke?”Beyond Rochester, Minneapolis also has a AAA rating from both Standard &amp; Poor's and Fitch. And Minneapolis’ rating has actually improved since 2003 when it was one spot lower at Aa1. Minnesota as a state has a AAA financial rating. This is better than both Wisconsin’s (blue) and North Dakota’s (red) and equal to Iowa’s and South Dakota’s (both red).Meanwhile, according to a recent National Priorities Project analysis, Minnesota taxpayers pay nearly $40 billion more to Washington DC than the state gets back in federal spending. Does the AAA-bonded state not deserve relief from D.C. given this long running imbalance?ADVERTISEMENTFor better or worse, facing COVID-related budget challenges, Rochester has to work with its elected representatives. But we don’t have to be chumps. It is a slap in the face for Rep. Hagedorn to run down the financial management of our state and city and then expect to discuss the city’s needs with our local elected leaders. The local Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, long a champion of the city’s financial management, should be embarrassed to invite Rep. Hagedorn to any future events which he can then turn around to use as photo ops for himself even as he demeans us all to his nationwide audience.Minnesota’s representative in Congress should represent Minnesota. We’re not a "broke blue state." Our “blue” cities aren’t broke, but they do need federal help, as do cities in red and blue states across the country. Rep. Hagedorn should be a cheerleader for the state he represents and for its wellbeing and future health. After a loss, coaches don’t run down their own players in front of the fans to make themselves look good, they save that for the locker room.Abe Sauer is a small business owner in Rochester and the author of Minnesota children's book "Goodnight Loon" and other works.Even when her family became the stuff of soap operas, she almost always rose above the drama.There is no journalistic imperative to balance truth with untruth; it's stupid.By making himself the issue that defines a "good" Republican, Trump and his enablers have frittered away their advantage, turning what should be a referendum on the party in power into a choice between the two parties.As the summer waned, Jenny Schlecht thought she had won the battle against garden pests and looked forward to a feast of sweet corn. The area raccoons made sure to let her know that she was wrong.ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT|It’s almost certainly unconstitutional. But there should be an eligibility amendment requiring all democratically elected representatives of Congress to have first served in some kind of local office. Yes, even if it’s just as dog catcher. Because even a city dog catcher understands that local budgeting is more complex than blue-red, left-right cliches. Few city offices are singularly “blue” or “red.” This seems entirely lost on Rochester’s First District Rep. Jim Hagedorn who, not surprisingly given his rhetoric, never held elected office anywhere before...

Abe Sauer: Why does Hagedorn treat Minnesotans like chumps?

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