Independent. Effective. Working for you.
Yesterday, I appeared on Almanac, a show on Twin Cities Public Television. In case you missed it, the show will be aired again tomorrow morning, February 14th, at 9:30 am.
You can also view the show at:
www.tpt.org
Click on Almanac on the right side of the home page; scroll down and select “view entire show”
The show for Friday, February 12, 2010, will automatically play.
State Representative Phil Sterner (DFL-Rosemount) has introduced a bill to facilitate back payments owed to Minnesota’s Red Bulls. Rep. Sterner has been working on behalf of the members of the 34th Infantry Brigade, headquartered in Rosemount after recent news reports revealed that more than 2500 Minnesota National Guard soldiers had not yet received thousands of dollars in bonus pay that they were promised.
“These men and women willingly faced hardship, uncertainty and personal sacrifice in order to serve their country,” said Rep. Sterner. “We not only owe them our gratitude, we owe them what they’ve earned.”
Members of the Red Bulls served an extended deployment – longest tour of duty of any unit in the Iraq War. At the time of the extension, the Department of Defense promised to pay a respite leave benefit to each soldier valued at approximately $200 per day. To date however, the Minnesota soldiers have not received their benefits, amounting to nearly $10 million. Sterner’s bill would provide assistance to the soldiers who are struggling with the challenges of a poor economy and a weak job market by borrowing money from a Special Revenue Fund to the Minnesota Army National Guard adjutant general to make payments to the soldiers. Once the Pentagon releases the back payments, the fund would be reimbursed.
One third of the returning Red Bull members had no jobs to return to upon their arrival back in Minnesota, and the rate of unemployment is currently four times higher than the state average.
“Our country made a promise to these young men and women and we owe it to them to keep it,” said Rep. Sterner. “When our country falters or stalls on a commitment to its fighting men and women, it casts a shadow on our promise to protect those who have protected us.”
Sterner, who represents the City of Rosemount in which the Red Bulls are headquartered, has been working to resolve the issue on multiple fronts. Last week he sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates urging him to cut through the red tape that was delaying the payments. Just this morning, he brought a resolution to the House Veterans Affairs Committee urging President Obama and Congress to expedite the payments. The resolution passed unanimously and was referred to the Agriculture, Veterans Affairs and Rural Economies Committee.
“This is simply about doing the right thing and keeping a promise,” said Sterner. “I don’t plan to stop until these men and women have a check in hand.”
Dear Friends,
Tonight, another group of the Red Bulls will be coming home to Minnesota. Please join me and other members of our community to greet them with a warm welcome and a thank you for their service. The bus will be arriving at the Rosemount Community Center at approximately 7:00pm. I hope to see you there.
In recent days, several news reports revealed that 2,500 Minnesota National Guard soldiers, those who served the longest tour of duty of any unit in the Iraq war are still awaiting thousands of dollars in bonus pay that they were promised. Members of Minnesota’s “Red Bull” 34th Infantry Brigade, based in Rosemount, were promised the bonus pay in 2007 after 22 months on active duty and 16 months in Iraq.
Yesterday, I sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates urging him to break through the red tape that is delaying the bonus payments to these men and women. There is nothing more important to me than making sure we uphold our commitment to Minnesota’s veterans and active duty military members. They have made tremendous sacrifices on our behalf and the least we can do is honor our promises to them.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Have a great weekend!
A big thank you to Rosemount City Administrator Dwight Johnson and Rosemount Community Development Director Kim Lindquist who joined me at the State Capitol last week to support my bill to get state bonding dollars for a new Park and Ride station in downtown Rosemount. They did a great job of making our case and representing the City of Rosemount. I’m hopeful we’ll be able to take the next step forward to bring better bus service to our community this session.
Tomorrow the 2010 Legislative Session will officially begin. Already, the level of activity at the State Capitol makes it seem as if we’ve already started.
As I’ve written in a number of these updates, we have serious challenges awaiting us, none more important than a $1.2 billion budget deficit and an economy that has left thousands of Minnesotans looking for work.
Throughout the legislative interim, I have been working with Democrats and Republicans in the House on a bipartisan Jobs Task Force and the Small Business Caucus to find solutions for Minnesota’s struggling economy. Our work has focused on identifying the many causes of this recession, and developing strategies at the state level that can help move us out of recession and put people back to work.
In this update, I’d like to share a few of the things I’ve been working on to make a difference in our community. I also want to remind you that I’ve set up a regular time each month to meet with constituents. Please join me every third Saturday of the month during the Legislative Session (February – May) from 10:00 am –11:30 am at Morning Glory Café and Bakery in Rosemount.
Additionally, I’ve created a survey for you to share your ideas about what you think our legislative priorities should be. You can find it on my House website at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/survey/37B.asp. Please take a few moments to complete and submit it. I always appreciate your input.
As always, please contact me if I can be of assistance to you or your family.
Sincerely,
Phil
