TO THE EDITOR:
When I was elected in 2002, little did I or anyone else know that we would soon face the largest budget deficit in state history.

Yes, as Paul Henderson asserted in a recent letter, we used part of the stateís tobacco settlement fund to balance the budget. But keep this in mind when you consider the wisdom of that decision: I ran expecting to face a $1 billion deficit, after the election it grew to $2.5 billion and by the time I took the oath of office the deficit was up to $4.5 billion. Such a drastic deficit called for us to make difficult spending decisions. The economy was just beginning to recover jobs lost in 2000 and our focus had to be on balancing the budget without increasing the state tax burden on individuals and job creators.

By accomplishing that goal, we have helped bring jobs back to Minnesota and get our economy back on the right track.

Mr. Henderson also mentioned state troopers. He and everyone else should know that as a member of the House Transportation Committee, which oversees the budget for state troopers, I have met with the State Patrolís top officials and asked them point blank if they need more troopers on the road. They tell me their training schools are full and they know that when they need help, I will make good on my offer to carry a bill to give them the additional resources they need.

Lastly, the debate on what is a tax versus what is a fee continues to go on for some people. My response to that is that a dollar of revenue does not care if it is called a tax or a fee so we shouldnít spend time arguing over what to call it. I have never made a distinction between revenue raised through taxes or fees and I think our process could be a lot more productive if we all stopped arguing about what to call money.

Rep. Pete Nelson
District 17B

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