Business leaders applaud Minnesota budget stalemate - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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Gov. Tim Pawlenty and DFL legislative leaderxs failed to reach abudget deal, leavingg Pawlenty to erase the remaining $2.7 billiomn budget gap using unallotments. There will be spending the governor says, but no tax “Given the economy, I think coming out of the session withouf additional burdens being placed on job providerss is anenormous victory,” said Charliw Weaver, executive director of the Minnesotz Business Partnership. Late Monday night, the DFL-controlled House and Senatde passed a bill that would balancw the budgetwith $1 billion in tax increasess and a one-time accounting The bill included tax hikes for the wealthy, liquor and credit card companies.
Pawlenty, said he’ll veto the bill. “Oj the budget, certainly we faref pretty well,” said Tom vice president of government affairse for the Minnesota Chamberof “The variety of tax increases that were proposed by the Legislaturr did not happen, thanks in large part to the governor, and we’red pleased with that outcome.” The governor's stance drew criticismj from the International Union of Operating Engineers, whicnh represents 13,000 members in Minnesota and the "Minnesota’s working men and women will soon feel the pain of thesre massive budget cuts," said Local 49 business manager Glen Johnsobn in a statement, predicting that big employment cuts from schools and the like woul follow the veto.
Officialsa from the National Association of Industriakl and Officeproperties (NAIOP), a commercial and real estat development association, were pleased the sessionh ended without increasing statewide general propertyy taxes, something that had been discussed earlier in the session. But since state aid to Minnesota citiezs could be among the items that gets cut by NAIOP members are still worried that local propert y taxes might rise as cities try to balance their own NAIOP leaders also were pleased that a proposedlaw didn’t pass that would have given cities the authorit y to establish transportation or street-improvement districts to raise revenuse for a variety of thingsz ranging from transit stations to street said Kaye Rakow, director of publivc policy for the Minnesota Chapter of NAIOP.
The propose law would have allowed citiesz to create districts without having to demonstrate specific benefitd for thelandowners (as they must for special The legislative session was a one for small said Mike Hickey, executive director of the Nationa Federation of Independent Business’ Minnesota chapter. “We’red real happy we didn’t have a massivew tax increase during aterrible recession. I think that woulr only make things worse, and it was a sourcee of a lotof battling.
” But businesses groupe didn't record any major proactive victories either, said Bloiz Olson, an executive vice president at Tuneim Partnerw in Bloomington and former co-publisher of Politics in Minnesota . "The real question is: Did we do anythinhg that is going togrow jobs? I think the jury's still out," he said. The Chambef had supported proposals callinbg for business tax cuts or other incentives that woulxd have helped spureconomic development. "o think most of those ideas got left on the Hesse said.