Final TV Debate Generates Heat(Minnesota)

Minnesota Public Radio ^ | October 29, 2010 | by Tim Pugmire

[Son House]

The three major-party candidate for governor turned up the volume on their criticism of each other tonight during a debate on Twin Cities Public Television's Almanac.

After more than two dozen debates, DFLer Mark Dayton, Republican Tom Emmer and the Independence Party's Tom Horner appeared for the last time together on TV before Election Day. The final debate is Sunday afternoon on MPR.

Dayton criticized Emmer's cuts-alone approach to erasing a projected $5.8 billion state budget deficit as a recipe for local property tax increases. He said Emmer's reductions in health and human services would have human consequences.

"We're talking about people here," Dayton said. "This is about people who get personal care attendants, people who are able to stay at home, people who need to be in nursing homes who are literally kept alive through that kind of care. This is about people, and we do have a growing aging population."

Emmer accused Dayton of making spending promises that he can't keep and being too cozy with labor unions. Emmer said his own plan to reshape state government would include the possible privatization of some current services, but he didn't offer specifics.

"Our state government should not be taking citizens taxpayer dollars and then getting into business to compete with its private citizens," Emmer said. "That should not happen, and it is happening. If there's something a private citizen can do, government should not be doing that function."

Horner, who's running a distant third in the polls, slammed both frontrunners. The IP candidate accused Dayton of being disingenuous in his plan to tax the rich.

"When you say your tax proposal will only effect 8 percent of small business, true," Horner said. "How many jobs will it affect? Ninety percent of the small business jobs in Minnesota. Your killing jobs, that's what your doing. That's what your tax proposal does."

Horner repeatedly argued that his centrist approach is the only way to move Minnesota forward.

Here's the Almanac audio in three parts: Part 1 Listen Part 2 Listen Part 3 Listen

[Son House]

The live audio links are at the MPR web site. It's funny how the Independence Party Horner uses a fiscally conservative argument against the Democrat Dayton, yet they are 2 sides of the same coin.

Republican Emmer's got more momentum then the media wants to admit, I haven't found a live link for this debate yet, but at the last one in Mankato Emmer got most all the cheers, well, that the moderator would allow, since it was supposed to be a 'no clap debate', guess them Minnesotans can get a little exited when presented with common sense over...

[HP8753]

A vote for Horner is a vote for Dayton.

If Dayton wins and there are any threats of terrorism, Where will he run and hide this time?????

North Dakota