Feb 18 How Nice

This afternoon, I got an email telling me that my representative, Larry Haws, is getting a lifetime achievement award. My first reaction was "How nice." My second reaction was "This guy's worked in the public sector half a century." Here's the press release:

St. Paul, MN - State Representative Larry Haws, District 15B, was named one of the Trust for Public Land's first-ever Legislative Leadership Award recipients.

State Rep. Haws has brought a thirty-two year regional park history to the state legislative table. As Saint Cloud Park Director, Haws developed the Saint Cloud national recognized park system. Under his leadership the park system grew from 33 parks and 400 acres to 90 parks and 1,000 acres. Park Director Haws established the Minnesota original "Adopt a Park Program" that recruited an army of 2,000 volunteers to plant, paint and clean city parks, saving thousands of tax dollars. With this background Rep. Haws has been able to speak factually on the importance of regional city and county parks that serve citizens not served by state or metro parks. He authored and passed legislation that will develop a five-year plan and a 25-year framework for non-metro regional parks.

"The Trust for Public Land is pleased to present this leadership award to Rep. Larry Haws," said Minnesota State Office Director Susan Schmidt. "Rep. Haws has initiated efforts to insure that regional parks and natural lands throughout the state, areas such as St. Cloud, benefit from the new Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment funding."

"It is an honor to be a part of the great success of The Trust for Public Land that is evident in the advances being made in our parks and natural land and protection throughout Minnesota," said Rep. Haws.

Haws came to Saint Cloud as a math teacher and a coach. He worked in the Saint Cloud Park Department and was a Park Director for 18 years. Haws also served as Stearns County Commissioner for seven years and he is now our State Representative for the Saint Cloud area.

Rep. Haws will receive his Legislative Leadership Award from The Trust for Public Land on February 19, 2010 at an Annual Legislative Kick-Off Luncheon at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory at 12:30 p.m.

There's no denying that Haws has been involved in St. Cloud's Park and Rec Department just like there's no denying that Larry will do a great job getting his fair share of the tax revenues so he can 'bring home the bacon.' Here's my only question about Larry: When is he going to start voting for tax reform and tax cuts?

Last year, St. Larry, along with Larry Hosch, voted against Keith Downey's angel investment tax credit amendment that would've kept high tech companies like VitalMedix from moving to Wisconsin:

Another Minnesota tech startup is moving across the border, prompting renewed questions about the competitive standing of the state's business climate.

VitalMedix, a Minneapolis biotech firm, said last week that it is negotiating leases in Wisconsin and expects to move to either Hudson or New Richmond within the next 90 days.

Jeff Williams, the company's CEO and founder, said VitalMedix's relocation will enable it to benefit from Wisconsin's friendlier business climate, including its tax investment credits law that encourage financial support from so-called angel investors.

"The investment climate (in Wisconsin) for small (biotech) companies like ours is more favorable" than Minnesota's, said Williams, previously CEO-in-residence of the Venture Center at the University of Minnesota. "Right now, it is more difficult to raise money in the Twin Cities for small companies."

It's difficult, if not impossible, to believe that Larry Haws serves on the Bioscience and Workforce Development Policy and Oversight Division. Considering the fact that he serves on a committee dealing with the bioscience industry, isn't it logical that he'd vote for legislation that would keep a bioscience company in Minnesota?

I wonder how many science majors at SCSU would vote for him if they knew he'd just voted to let a bioscience company leave Minnesota. I'm betting that they'd be upset that he didn't do enough to keep good paying bioscience jobs in the state.

Let's hope the next person to represent 15B puts a higher priority on building a 21st century private sector economy than St. Larry, the patron saint of the public trough.

Comments welcome at LFR.