Tag: Rep. Paulsen

Federal Taxes: Paulsen ‘touts plan’? Where are the details?

Re: Friday’s subhead “Minnesota Republican touts plan …” — that is, a plan to lower and simplify taxes. What? Where’s the plan? I read the article twice and saw absolutely no detail, none. Sure, there were some vague suggestions, but no plan (“Paulsen pitches lowering, simplifying taxes,” Aug. 18).

What I saw was the Star Tribune running a PR piece for Paulsen. Where are the details? Where is the plan the subhead promised?

We end up with nothing. Come back with a real story when he tells us specifically what he’ll do. Stop being a shill for our elected officials with notions, wishes, slogans, and bumper-sticker sayings.

Without breaking a sweat or doing what the headline implied, Paulsen got what he wanted: a headline someone can place on a piece of campaign literature.

Tom Krueger, Crystal
Minneapolis Star Tribune, August 18, 2017

Why control of the U.S. House could hinge on Minnesota in 2018

The following article by Sam Bordey was posted on the MinnPost website August 10, 2017:

From north to south, woods to prairie, the vast majority of the state of Minnesota will be hotly contested political turf in the 2018 election cycle.

Of the state’s eight U.S. House seats, five are among the handful of races considered legitimately competitive — and a few even rank as top national priorities for both parties.

It’s not a stretch to say that control of the House could be decided in the North Star State: with Republicans commanding a 23-seat majority, and Democrats aiming to chip away, or even reverse, that total, having a slate of five competitive races in one state is a big deal. Continue reading “Why control of the U.S. House could hinge on Minnesota in 2018”

Congress will have 12 working days to prevent a debt default and keep the government open.

The following article by Kelsey Snell filling in for James Hohmann with Breanne Deppisch and Joanie Greve was posted on the Washington Post website August 11, 2017:

THE BIG IDEA today is by Kelsey Snell. James will be back on Monday.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have a lot to do when Congress returns next month. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

August is supposed to be a time when Washington recharges, relaxes and refreshes. But just beyond that happy hour cocktail or beach blanket is a looming fiscal battle over funding the government and raising the debt limit.

Exciting, right? When Congress returns in September the House will have just 12 legislative days to raise the federal borrowing limit to avoid default — and the same amount of time to approve a spending deal to avert a government shutdown. Those things alone would make for a hefty lift under even the best political circumstances. But the high-stakes deadlines comes as GOP lawmakers are still bruised and angry over the dramatic failure of their most recent push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Continue reading “Congress will have 12 working days to prevent a debt default and keep the government open.”

Tax Propaganda

The following article was posted on the TrumpAccountable.org website August 10, 2017:

TaxPropaganda2

Republican tax reform advocates and the Trump White House have taken note of the mistakes made during the hapless Obamacare repeal effort that culminated in failure in the Senate. One of the biggest mistakes Republicans made was an inability to make the case to the broader population that their replacement was going to be in any way better.

Tax reform advocates friendly to the Republican agenda have already begun a campaign to help the Republican leadership deliver talking points about the need for tax reform. The American Action Network recently launched a 15 second video across national cable platforms featuring Albert Jones, a laid off metal worker from Ohio, who claims that he lost his job because of the U.S. tax code. Continue reading “Tax Propaganda”

GOP group launches TV ads in Third District

The following article by Jennifer Brooks was posted on the Star Tribune website August 9, 2017:

Brace yourselves, Minnesota voters. Campaign ad season came early this year.

U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, a Republican who represents a district Hillary Clinton carried in 2016, is getting a boost from a $2.5 million national television ad buy from a deep-pocketed GOP advocacy group.

American Action Network, a political nonprofit helmed by former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, announced today it will be airing television ads — featuring an Ohio metalworker who pins the blame for his layoff of the current tax code — in 24 vulnerable Republican districts, including Minnesota’s Third Congressional District. Continue reading “GOP group launches TV ads in Third District”

Erik Paulsen supports Dar-Al Farooq mosque (from his vacation somewhere else)

The following article by Mike Mullen was posted on the City Pages website August 9, 2017:

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Erik Paulsen says the “community” is “united” after the Bloomington mosque bombing. Maybe he read about it in the paper?Facebook/Erik Paulsen

Erik Paulsen just cannot get Facebook to work.

He’s able to publish posts, sure, and can get all the words and photos to show up online. It’s what happens after that, when everyone jumps in to say he’s full of shit, that’s giving him so much trouble.

Continue reading “Erik Paulsen supports Dar-Al Farooq mosque (from his vacation somewhere else)”

Senate Gives House Republicans Little Cover on Health Care in 2018

The following article by Simone Pathé was posted on the Roll Call website July 31, 2017:

Some House GOP lawmakers trusted Senate to improve legislation

When Florida Rep. Carlos Curbelo voted for the Republican health care bill this spring, he did so believing the Senate would make it better.

“I received strong assurances that major improvements would be made in the Senate,” the two-term congressman wrote in a May Miami Herald op-edexplaining his vote.

As super PAC arrives, who will ultimately have Paulsen’s ear?

“Super PAC sets up shop” (July 28) is a chilling precursor to the 2018 election. According to the article, the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) will be working to encourage U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen to “take tough votes on issues like health care.” It reports that “when Iowa Rep. David Young announced he would vote against the replacement House bill, CLF closed its office in his district.”

So despite the shiny young people working for CLF, where does this leave Paulsen’s constituents, who may have diametrically opposite views? Will Paulsen hold in-person town hall meetings in order to discover the wishes of those he represents, or will he vote with the CLF and all the money it promises for his votes?

Arthur and Jane Price, Coon Rapids
Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 29, 2017

Citizens have questions for Rep. Paulsen

Thank you to reporter Patty Dexter for the June 22 edition by providing Congressman Erik Paulsen’s reaction to the attempted murder of congressmen in Washington, D.C. This terrible assault on our democracy is a local issue because it was an attack on all Americans.

The also also demonstrated access community news organizations have to our elected representatives. This is important because Congressman Paulsen ignores rank-and-file constituents.

Lakeshore Weekly News is well-positioned to promote political discourse due to its access to Paulsen — access that has not been afforded, or is affordable, to district residents.  Lakeshore Weekly can raise the bar in reporting on Paulsen by asking him rigorous questions on his positions that affect our district and demand complete and truthful answers. Continue reading “Citizens have questions for Rep. Paulsen”

Hits on federal retirement advance as bill is introduced to fire feds for ‘no cause at all’

The following article by Joe Davidson was posted on the Washington Post website July 21, 2017:

House Budget Committee Chairwoman Diane Black (R-Tenn.) listens as budget committee lawmakers deliver statements on the American Health Care Act during a meeting in March. (Shawn Thew/EPA)

House Republicans greeted current and future federal employees with two controversial body blows in recent days — one amounts to a pay cut and the other would allow new feds to be fired for “no cause at all.”

The House Budget Committee approved a spending plan that would save the government $163.5 billion over 10 years by taking that amount from federal employees. They would pay that in the form of “greater contributions to their own defined benefit retirement plans,” according to the panel’s budget document.

Republicans call their plan “Building a Better America.”  But the Americans now working to build a better country through their federal jobs would be called on to sacrifice again, as they have repeatedly over the years.

“Since 2010, these employees have already lost $182 billion in pay and benefits,” Tony Reardon, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said in a letter to the committee. Those losses occurred through measures including a partial three-year pay freeze and previous retirement hits under the Obama administration. Continue reading “Hits on federal retirement advance as bill is introduced to fire feds for ‘no cause at all’”