Thread: MN-State view:Long-term view needed to ensure our prosperity

Published May 14 2010
State view: Long-term view needed to ensure our prosperity
By: Yeh Ling-Ling, Duluth News Tribune


Many political leaders have proposals to address Minnesota’s problems, such as budget deficits, education and unemployment. But can they succeed without a comprehensive approach or a long-term view?

Within 30 years, China went from symbolizing the Third World to now holding the world’s largest foreign currency reserves and being the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury debt. Since Minnesota’s budget deficit for the 2012-13 biennium could exceed $5.8 billion and our national debt has skyrocketed with no end in sight, candidates for governor in Minnesota may want to start by examining what China has done right. China is far from perfect, but at least it demands self-reliance and gives no welfare to its citizens.

In 2007 alone, welfare programs, cash and non-cash, accounted for more than $9 billion — almost 23 percent — of state and local government spending in Minnesota. While temporary aid to truly needy Americans should be provided, welfare abuses must be drastically curbed across the board: Struggling American workers should not be taxed to support irresponsible citizens.

To help close the budget gap and encourage honesty, the elderly who transfer their assets to their children before applying for government-paid assisted living must be penalized. A fair-minded governor should advocate that all adult, able-bodied welfare recipients, nonviolent prison inmates and unemployed Americans work. Furthermore, naturalized citizens should be billed for all the welfare costs given to the relatives they brought to the U.S.

These steps would help reduce expenses on unemployment and welfare by billions of dollars a year. More working Americans also would mean higher tax revenues and a healthier Minnesota.

However, if we continue to add 3 million people to the U.S. every year who most likely will need jobs it will be difficult for Americans to find work.

Three decades ago, China already understood that population growth would seriously impede its economic success. Instead of promising job creation, why don’t we start by curbing the numbers of jobseekers? In addition to advocating serious efforts to reduce births from teens and others who cannot self-support, Minnesota leaders should actively remind Washington, D.C., that 1 million legal immigrants, hundreds of thousands of professional and low-skilled “guest workersâ€

Shame on us that our situation has to become so dire economically that the government finally starts hearing what the people have been saying for decades. That said, this article is good. It is a good start.