It was a hectic week at the State Capitol, kicked off on Monday by the announcement of the Senate DFL 2004-05 budget plan to fund state services, put Minnesota on the track to economic recovery and still cut $1 billion in state funding.

After weeks of examining the details of the governor’s proposal and gathering input from over 10,000 Minnesotans who attended over 150 town hall meetings held across the state, we put together an alternative budget plan that we believe would save many of the programs, families and individuals that are unfairly targeted under the House Republican and governor’s budget plans.

The collective message we heard from Minnesotans was clear: Gov. Pawlenty’s budget does not reflect the values and priorities of Minnesotans.

In our area, most of the people I have heard from have said the governor’s proposed cuts are too deep and

they hit our communities too hard.

Everyone from nursing home directors to school superintendents to local police officers have contacted me with fears of losing their jobs or the funding that supports their programs. Some who may support parts of the governor’s plan have said they do not want to see basic necessities such as police officers and snow-plow services reduced in our community.People have also noted that while Pawlenty claims that we are &uot;all in this together,&uot; and we need to &uot;share the pain,&uot; those who were hit hardest under the governor’s proposal were people who utilize government services, such as working families using MinnesotaCare, seniors relying on Meals on Wheels to help keep them independent, college students who need financial aid to continue their educations, and cities &045; especially rural communities who need aid from the state to provide services.

Senate Democrats responded with a plan that balanced $1 billion in state government cuts with the same amount of revenue-generating proposals. In putting together our budget proposal, we held three guiding principles:

Reduce pressure on local property taxes.

Build a solid foundation for future growth.

Share the pain across economic and geographic lines.

We decided that it is important to retain our state’s commitment to key areas such as health care, education and economic development. Our budget plan softens the governor’s proposed cuts to MinnesotaCare, early childhood education and local government aid; lifts the threat to Meals on Wheels and other programs that help keep seniors in their homes; and reduces pressure on local property taxes.

Under our plan, revenue is raised from three sources: a tax increase on cigarettes, closing corporate loopholes and an income tax increase on those earning more than $250,000 a year. The income tax increases that allow these important services to stay intact will affect only the top five percent of Minnesota taxpayers &045; those taxpayers in high-income brackets who benefited most from the booming economy of the 1990s, and who received a disproportionate share of state tax cuts from 1999-2001.

Most everyone agrees that all citizens need to do their share to solve the budget problem, and our plan effectively implements that rhetoric.This point is supported by a recent study by the Minnesota Department of Finance showing that Minnesotans making more than $845,276 a year in income reported for tax purposes pay only 7.7 percent of their incomes in taxes, while people making $35,000 a year pay 11.9 percent.

Overall, our budget presents a better alternative to the governor’s plan.

Many are concerned about a Republican budget which seems intent on balancing the budget on the backs of Minnesota’s most vulnerable citizens.

The governor’s budget claims it includes no tax increases, but it causes dramatic increases in local property taxes as well as millions in fee increases for things like camping, hunting and car license tabs. And, the governor’s plan backs the idea of raising property taxes while cutting police and fire protection. That’s not the kind of government we believe in here in Minnesota. Some things &045; quality education, affordable college, good jobs, health care coverage &045; are just too important to lose.

Through the next few weeks, many tough decisions will have to be made. Our budget proposal is just one piece of the budget pie, and many compromises will have to be made before a final budget can be approved.

Your continued input is very important to me

you can always contact me at: G-24 State Capitol, 75 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155, (651) 296-9248.

Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, represents Freeborn and Mower counties and part of Fillmore County in the Minnesota Senate.