Unions denounce corporate ad campaign against Dayton plan

The ads target Governor Mark Dayton’s proposal to raise more revenue for public services by raising taxes on the wealthiest Minnesotans.

“While the TV and radio ads are designed to make the audience believe that ‘United for Jobs’ wants to safeguard Minnesota families and small businesses, in reality, ‘United for Jobs’ is funded by corporate advocacy groups that want to protect the pocket books of their multi-millionaire members,” the unions said.

Eliot Seide, executive director of AFSCME Council 5 called the advertising “deceptive and misleading.”

The ads and public statements featuring Minnesota business owners are deceptive because the owners appear as small businessmen who produce consumer products or provide services for Minnesota families, the unions said. In reality, two of the CEOs in the campaign are CEOs of global companies, RELCO and Super Radiator Coils, which manufacture industrial machinery for businesses.

The unions said the ads also mislead the audience into believing that the Governor’s tax proposal for the wealthiest 2 percent of Minnesotans will raise taxes on “hard-working Minnesotans” – insinuating that all Minnesotans will get a tax increase. This is not true. The Governor’s proposal is a targeted tax increase to have the wealthiest pay their fair share, the unions said.

“United for Jobs” failed to disclose the list of corporations that helped finance the $600,000 ad buy. The Minnesota Business Partnership and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce created “United for Jobs” to kill Governor Dayton’s plan to raise revenue from a fourth tier tax on wealthiest Minnesotans.

‘This isn’t about protecting the middle class, it’s not about protecting Minnesota families, this is about self-interest,” said Chet Jorgenson, statewide president of MAPE. “It’s amazing that when it comes to funding stadiums, investing in pre-school education and improving our transit systems, Minnesota CEOs are pro-taxes, but when it comes to them paying more to help fund budget initiatives they support – suddenly the wealthiest among us are crying foul.

“I think these ads are damaging to Minnesota’s economy. Since the 1930s Minnesota has invested to create and maintain a high quality of life for its citizens and because of that our state’s economy has been one of the best in the nation. People who live in states that don’t make significant public investments experience a lower quality of life. Why would we want to be like Alabama or Mississippi?”

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