EMMER CAN'T DECIDE HOW LARGE MINNESOTA'S BUDGET SHOULD BE

In April 2010, while on Minnesota Public Radio's Midday program, Emmer was asked, "If you could wave a wand today, what should be the size of the state budget?"  Emmer responded with two different answers.  First he said, "Well, no I'm going to tell you that the overall budget should probably be around $40 billion. Once you get done, and I'm talking out of that $60 billion."  He then said, "But yes, I believe you can reduce government easily by 20% in the next four years - easily."  [Minnesota Public Radio's Midday, 04/28/10]

In June 2010, Minnesota Public Radio reported, "In late April, he suggested he could eliminate a third of overall state spending, roughly $20 billion. Last month, Emmer told Minnesota Public Radio News that he would cut or merge several large state government departments."  [Minnesota Public Radio, 06/14/10]

June 2010, Emmer's campaign sought to "fact check" Minnesota Public Radio's claim that he wanted to cut state spending by $20 billion.  His campaign website stated, "During the discussion with Eichten, Emmer did initially say the overall budget should be around $40 billion, down from the current level of $60 billion. But seconds later he clarified with the definitive statement that we "can reduce government easily by 20% in the next four years." When Scheck chose to use the $20 billion figure instead of the more definitive final word on the question, he made a critical and material journalistic mistake."  [www.emmerforgovernor.com, Accessed 06/14/10; Minnesota Public Radio, 06/14/10]

In August 2009, the Bemidji Pioneer wrote that Emmer would like Minnesota's budget to look more like Colorado's budget:

He says Colorado and Minnesota have about the same population, and the Denver metro area is comparable to the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. Minnesota spends between $60 billion and $70 billion every two years, considering all intergovernmental transactions and dedicated funds,

Colorado is "delivering government for a third less -- they spend $40 billion to $50 billion," Emmer said. "There's something wrong, and it's time to look at the actual structure. It's got to be reduced, and it's going to require some significant negotiations and concessions by government employees, it will require some serious rethinking about how government functions."  [Bemidji Pioneer, 08/04/09]

In a video posted to YouTube on January 20, 2010 and embedded on his website, Emmer states:

With all the dedicated funds it comes up to about 60-70 billion.  Now if we compare Minnesota to a state like Colorado, Colorado is roughly the same geographic size of Minnesota, and it's within .5% of the population.  So you have two states that are roughly the same geographic size and the same population.  Colorado delivers government for 40-50 billion dollars every two years.

What we need to explain to people in the public; and I don't think we can any longer no-new-taxes pledges, I think those were appropriate at one time; but now we've got to get more detailed, and we've got to be able to articulate and communicate.  Here's the reality folks, Minnesota spends a third more than a state of similar size and population and similar quality of life.  [www.youtube.com, 01/20/2010;  www.emmerforgovernor.com, Accessed 06/14/10]

Emmer appeared on Minnesota Public Radio's Midday with host Gary Eichten.  He was again asked about his claim that Minnesota could cut $20 billion from the state budget:

Gary Eichten: Last week when you were on Midday you said that you wanted to cut state spending, overall state spending by about a third, much bigger reduction than any of the other candidate's.  Still sticking with that?

Tom Emmer: Gary what I said was, I think you can do that.  Anticipating that would ask me that again today, what I would tell you is this: As you move forward with the election, the candidates will put out more detail as to what they will do and how.  [Minnesota Public Radio's Midday, 05/05/10]