Recent debates over General Assistance Medical Care and Minnesota state spending points out a lot of what the media is missing and what they should research.

Why and how does South Dakota handle the GAMC population? How does South Dakota government spend $1000 less per capita than Minnesota? South Dakota has no state income tax! Is non-metro Minnesota paying for metro excess?

Let us consider some prices. In 1963 I went to the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. I had no government Pell grants, and tuition and fees were $375 a year. I worked part-time in the kitchen at the University of Minnesota’s Sanford Hall for $1.27 an hour in 1963.

1967 — Average Minnesota starting teacher salary was $5,400 a year for a University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, graduate with a bachelor of science.

1968 — U.S. Army starting pay was $98 a month plus board and room.

1970 — Freeborn County social worker starting pay was $7,600 a year.

1970 — GR County negotiated medical (no state GA or GAMC).

1970 — The top nursing home rate was $10.50 a day, Freeborn County negotiated.

In the mid 1960s the Minnesota state budget less then $1 billion. (No state sales tax till 1967 and now over 7 percent.)

The Minnesota state budget in 2009 is over 30 billion! Have other things gone up over 30 times in 45 years! What happened? Why? Too much spending and expansion? Why?

Tom Schleck

Albert Lea