You know the Republicans, they ran in 2010 saying they wanted to govern Minnesota in
the worst possible way, and they have.
(Music Open)
It's great to be here again.
See so many people.
Mostly dressed in blue.
Janet I want to thank you for putting on this tremendous event.
It's a great way to bring us together, celebrate what we've accomplished and get ready to do
it all again.
You know I must say that although a blue state is our aspiration, at the legislative session
last year, things looked pretty purple to me.
In fact there are a few ominous warnings of what things would be like if Minnesota were
red.
And there was not a pretty sight.
You know the Republicans, they ran in 2010 saying they wanted to govern Minnesota in
the worst possible way (laughter), and they have.
(applause)
Leadership scandals, illegal firings of non-political employees, transparency about the shape of
oil wells and most of all an absolute unwavering devotion to their mantra that there will be
no tax increases on the richest Minnesotans.
(booing)
And everything else, everything else sacrificed at that altar.
Property taxes increased, school funding withheld, borrowing from our future with tobacco bonds,
cutting funding for family PCA care, cutting funding for emergency medical care for people.
Everything and anything so as not to make the wealthiest two percent of Minnesotans
pay their fair share of taxes.
Now I got elected Governor on that platform.
(cheering) And I remember, and I believe in it.
I believe it's the right policy.
I believe it's the right politics.
I believe it is going to be winning politics again next November.
And I hope the DFL party will take a strong stand.
We're for tax fairness for Minnesota.
(cheering)
I worked for Walter Mondale when he was a United States Senator.
Fritz once said he, you know a lot of stupid politicians, but he never knew one who couldn't
count.
Well, I can count.
Two percent of the people in Minnesota should be very grateful to the Republicans for doing
everything to protect them from paying a dollar more in taxes.
And I'm sure they'll be very grateful with their contributions to their campaigns and
they'll show up at the polls.
But there's 98 percent of the rest of us, the people of Minnesota, who do not benefit
from that policy at all.
(applause)
And you know its wrong.
You know it's unfair.
Know it's wrong that a homestead credit gets eliminated and their property taxes go up,
small businesses property taxes go up, so the richest Minnesotans don't their fair share
of taxes.
Cut here, cut there.
Gut and cut.
No reform, just gut and cut so the rich don't have to pay their fair share of taxes.
Starve our schools, starve people who are in need of help and dependent upon government
for their survival.
Take emergency care away from people.
Cut the spirit of Minnesota only so the rich won't have to pay their fair share of taxes.
Well, we're going to change that next November.
We're going to make this a blue state…(cheering, applause)
We're going to re-elect a great President of the United States, Barack Obama.
(cheering, applause)
We're going to re-elect our outstanding United States Senator Amy Klobuchar.
(cheering, applause)
I always say about Amy that's she's a big improvement over her predecessor.
I know them both well so I speak with authority on the subject.
(laughter)
We're going to re-elect our members of Congress and we're going to pick up some more seats.
We're going to make this state a blue congressional delegation.
(applause)
And then, and I really ask your help on this, we're going to get a DFL majority back in
the Minnesota Senate and a DFL majority back in the Minnesota House.
(cheering, applause)
Because I don't want four more years of this kind of disaster.
I don't want four more years of the people who sit there and just say no and no and no
and no — unless you got more than a million dollars.
So enjoy tonight.
Enjoy the spirit.
I might come back again next year — I hope I'll be invited back.
I want to see this state BLUE!
(cheering, applause)