Thank God for Gov. Mark Dayton. Our governor is insisting on serious debate about the Minnesota budget. We will not see serious debate from the new Republican Party. Rep. Rich Murray claims that Gov. Dayton “is proposing more of the same old status quo that got us into this mess.” What got us into this mess was eight years of George Bush and Republican legislators allowing Wall Street to destroy the economy, George Bush’s reckless invasion of Iraq killing thousands and running up at least a trillion dollars of debt and, of course, former Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty purposefully leaving us with more than $6 billion of debt. It is Mr. Murray’s political party that caused this economic mess. His claim that Gov. Dayton is the problem means he plans not be a serious advocate for Minnesotans.

Mr. Murray ran on a platform of jobs, jobs, jobs and now writes that one of his top goals will be “to jump start job creation and economic development in this state.” Really? So far all I have seen from Rep. Murray are his words and votes to eliminate jobs, jobs and jobs in Minnesota.

Ted Hinnenkamp

Albert Lea