98 Minnesota mayors warn state fiscal policies are hurting cities, residents and local budgets psss
98 Minnesota mayors warn state fiscal policies are hurting cities, residents and local budgets
A letter to state lawmakers cites fraud, unchecked spending and forcing property tax increases on residents and businesses
A group of 98 Minnesota mayors raised concerns with state leaders in a letter about their state's fiscal policies, saying they have impacted their cities and residents, noting a disappearing $18 billion surplus and a projected $2.9 billion to $3 billion deficit for the 2028-29 biennium.
In a letter to state lawmakers and Gov. Tim Walz, the 98 mayors expressed concern and frustration, said the state was slipping in national economic rankings.
"Fraud, unchecked spending, and inconsistent fiscal management in St. Paul have trickled down to our cities—reducing our capacity to plan responsibly, maintain infrastructure, hire and retain employees, and sustain core services without overburdening local taxpayers," the letter states.
Cities across the state now face workforce shortages, slowed business investment, rising operational and construction costs, and families choosing to leave Minnesota altogether, the letter states.
In addition, the mayors noted potential property tax increases as a result of unfunded state mandates and costs that force cities to shift the burden to residents and businesses.
"There is a growing disconnect between state-level fiscal decisions and the strain they place on the cities we lead, the letter said. "When the state expands programs or shifts responsibilities without stable funding, it is our residents—families, seniors, businesses, and workers—who ultimately bear the cost."
Unfunded mandates include requests for schools, health and human services, and public safety.
Minnesota Republican lawmakers put the blame on Walz and Democrats.
MINNESOTA’S ANTI-FRAUD SPENDING HAS QUIETLY BALLOONED, LEAVING TAXPAYERS TO PAY FOR FAILURE TWICE
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaking at a presser. (Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)
"Governor Walz and Democrats passed unaffordable spending and tax increases along with unfunded mandates on the promise it would make life more affordable," state Republican Sen. Andrew Lang, who serves as the Lead on the Senate State and Local Government Committee, said in a statement. "In reality they just passed down the costs to local governments, schools, and small businesses, who in turn pass down costs to local taxpayers and consumers.
"Minnesota Counties sounded the alarm early last session about the proposals to shift costs onto their budgets, so I’m not surprised that nearly 100 mayors across the state are raising their own concerns. This letter is a warning that we must reduce state spending, stop the massive fraud plaguing our state, and remove unnecessary mandates to keep life affordable for everyone."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Walz's office.
The mayors noted that a state statute requires a balanced budget but that relying on one-time surplus dollars has created structural strain.
"Our state owes it to our citizens to practice responsible fiscal management and to stop taxing our families, seniors, and businesses out of Minnesota," they said. "We urge the Legislature to course-correct and to remember that every dollar you manage belongs not to the Capitol, but to the people of Minnesota."
Gov. Walz questions $9B Medicaid fraud estimate, says he’ll take accountability
Gov. Tim Walz said he would take accountability for fraud in Minnesota’s Medicaid programs and would work to fix it, but took issue with estimates gauging the total lost to improper payments at around $9 billion.
The comments came on Friday, a day after federal prosecutors announced a slate of additional charges tied to alleged widespread fraud in Minnesota’s Medicaid programs and suggested that at least half of the $18 billion spent in Minnesota since 2018 in 14 Medicaid programs viewed as high risk for abuse had been obtained by fraudulent means.
“It's speculating,” Walz said following a news conference on an unrelated issue, noting that payments had been cut off for programs and providers suspected of misusing Medicaid funds. “To extrapolate what that number is for sensationalism or to make statements about it, it doesn't really help us. It doesn't get us to where we need. I just need their help to prosecute this.”
Department of Human Services Deputy Commissioner and state Medicaid Director John Connolly said state officials think the amount of Medicaid money obtained through fraud is in the tens of millions of dollars, not billions. He and Department of Human Services Inspector General James Clark said the U.S. Attorney’s Office had not submitted information to the state about potentially fraudulent providers.
“We don't have evidence in hand to suggest that we have $9 billion in fraud in these benefits over the last seven years. And if there is evidence, we need it so that we can stop payment,” Connolly said. “That's a very alarming number. And so if there is evidence, credible allegations of fraud, we need that information to take action.”
Walz, a second-term DFLer, said the state referred cases of suspected fraud to the U.S. Attorney’s office to be prosecuted, and providers were charged as a result.
“What they didn't tell you is we're partners in this,” Walz said. “They didn't tell you because they don't tell us. And it's been very clear that this is being driven from (Washington) D.C.”
Walz said politics, particularly from the White House, had filtered down to discussions about Medicaid fraud in Minnesota. The issue has drawn scrutiny from President Donald Trump and attracted investigations from various federal agencies in recent weeks.
Walz committed to rooting out fraud in government programs and holding people to account.
“This is on my watch. I am accountable for this, and more importantly, I am the one that will fix it,” Walz said. “They're not interested in that, so they throw about these numbers.”
Republicans have blasted the governor for not acting sooner to detect and weed out fraud in the programs. Gubernatorial candidate Chris Madel told WCCO Radio that Walz was “willfully blind” to the issue over the course of his seven years in office.
“How can you possibly claim, with respect to the governor, and frankly, every every one of these commissioners, every one of the high level people there, that they are not aware of a high probability of fraud going on when this has not only happened for the last 10 years, but they themselves are now saying that there's 14 different areas of fraud that are occurring, and then there's indictment after indictment after indictment?”
Madel also faulted Republicans in the Legislature for not doing more to provide oversight over Medicaid programs and said a new House Fraud Prevention and Agency Oversight Committee formed this year hadn’t produced meaningful results.
On social media, U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer said, “Timmy, you are not a victim. 9 BILLION dollars of fraud happened on your watch. Take accountability for once in your life!”
“This investigation has been underway for more than four years and is being handled by career prosecutors and law enforcement agents here in Minnesota,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson in a statement to MPR News Friday afternoon. “We will continue to follow the evidence wherever it leads and will remain transparent with the public about the magnitude of the problem. We welcome and appreciate the support of everyone committed to the fight against fraud.”
MPR Correspondent Matt Sepic contributed to this report from Minneapolis.
John Kennedy’s Latest Comments Have Reopened the Epstein Debate in a Big Way
John Kennedy’s Latest Comments Have Reopened the Epstein Debate in a Big Way
Sen. Kennedy Raises New Concerns About Epstein Case Amid Ongoing Tensions
“Ornaments, Drywall, and Epstein”: Senator Kennedy Slams “Shady” Investigation as FBI Director Faces Heated Grill over Trump and Sex Trafficking Files
The halls of Congress became the staging ground for a high-stakes battle over truth, accountability, and the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein this week. In a series of explosive testimonies that have sent shockwaves through social media, the Director of the FBI and officials from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) were subjected to a blistering interrogation by lawmakers who reflect the deep-seated skepticism of the American public. The central theme was clear: the official narrative surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein is failing the test of public trust, and the demand for transparency regarding his co-conspirators has reached a fever pitch.
Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, known for his sharp wit and folksy but lethal metaphors, set the tone for the proceedings with a remark that immediately went viral. “Christmas ornaments, drywall, and Jerry Epstein—name three things that don’t hang themselves,” Kennedy quipped, succinctly capturing the prevailing sentiment of millions of Americans. His opening salvo wasn’t just a clever line; it was a direct challenge to the Bureau of Prisons’ finding that Epstein’s death in August 2019 was a simple suicide. Kennedy emphasized that the American people “deserve some answers” and urged officials not to rush the investigation, but to treat it with the “top priority” it warrants.
The testimony of Dr. Sawyer, representing the BOP, revealed the systemic failures that allowed such a high-profile prisoner to perish while under federal watch. When questioned about the specifics of Epstein’s confinement, Sawyer admitted that the death of such a high-profile individual indicates either a “major malfunction of the system or criminal enterprise.” He described the tiers of suicide watch, explaining that while Epstein had been on a strict watch initially—stripped of everything but a mattress and a coarse gown—the system failed when he was moved to “psychological observation.” Despite claims that inmates on such observation are “watched and scrutinized every moment,” Epstein was reportedly alone and unmonitored at the time of his death.
The emotional core of the hearing focused on the victims—the women and girls who were raped and trafficked by Epstein and his associates. Lawmakers argued that Epstein’s death wasn’t just a prison failure; it was a theft of justice. By allowing Epstein to die before he could testify against his co-conspirators, the “bastard” was able to protect his circle from beyond the grave, leaving his victims with their “hearts ripped out.” The Director was criticized for the “management matter” of treating Epstein like any other inmate, with senators arguing that someone with his level of information should have been the highest priority for protection to ensure the integrity of future criminal investigations.
As the focus shifted to the FBI’s role, the tension escalated into a near-total breakdown of decorum. The Director was grilled on the “Epstein files” and the specific mention of high-profile names, including Donald Trump. In a series of evasive maneuvers, the Director claimed he had not reviewed the entirety of the files personally, despite it being the “largest sex trafficking case the FBI has ever been a part of.” When pushed to provide a number of times Trump’s name appeared in the documents, the Director refused to give a specific count, stating only that “it’s not a thousand” and “it’s not a hundred,” while accusing lawmakers of engaging in “political innuendo.”
The exchange turned personal and vitriolic as the Director defended his record, citing his work in reducing crime and child trafficking, while lawmakers accused him of “hiding pedophiles” and playing a “cute shell game” with the law. Reference was made to Judge Richard Berman, who previously noted that the information released to the public “pales in comparison” to the materials held by the Department of Justice. The hearing concluded with a dramatic refusal by the Director to recuse himself from investigations involving individuals he had previously labeled “government gangsters” in his own book, leading to a final, bitter standoff over the “disgrace” of the proceedings.
This hearing has made one thing undeniably certain: the Epstein saga is far from over. As technology like drone drops and advanced surveillance cameras become the new frontline for prison security, the focus remains on the old-fashioned failures of human oversight and the potential for deep-seated corruption. For the victims, the wait for the “entire truth” continues, as the wall of government secrecy remains stubbornly intact.
Panic Behind the Scenes? New Claims Put Pete Hegseth Under Heavy Scrutiny
Hegseth in Panic Mode as Troops Revolt and Leak Damaging Photos He Tried to Keep Hidden
Troops in Revolt: Leaked ‘Nightmare’ Photos Reveal Starvation and Chaos Under Pete Hegseth’s Leadership
In the high-stakes theater of American defense, the image of the stoic, well-supplied soldier is a cornerstone of national pride. However, a series of explosive leaks from within the ranks of the U.S. Navy and the Pentagon has shattered that facade, painting a devastating picture of a military in crisis. At the center of this storm is Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, whose tenure is now being defined not by strategic brilliance, but by a “nightmare” scenario of logistical collapse, plummeting morale, and an unprecedented revolt from the very troops he is tasked with leading.
The crisis reached a fever pitch this week as service members aboard major aircraft carriers, including the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford, began leaking photos of the meals they are being served. These images, which have quickly gone viral, show “grim meals” consisting of dry patties, plastic-looking carrots, and a single tortilla on otherwise empty plastic trays. One sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln described the situation in stark terms: “The food is tasteless and there’s not nearly enough and they’re hungry all the time.” For a military that prides itself on being the best-fed and best-equipped force in the world, these revelations are a staggering indictment of current leadership.
The logistical failure extends beyond the galley. Families of service members are reporting a total breakdown in the military postal system, with the U.S. Postal Service temporarily suspending mail delivery to 27 military zip codes. Parents have spent thousands of dollars on care packages that sit in transit with no clear delivery timeline, leaving their children to ration what little food they have. One mother from Texas, whose son is aboard the USS Tripoli, shared that her family has spent over $2,000 on supplies that have never reached him, forcing sailors to “ration and share food” just to get by.
In the face of these failures, Secretary Hegseth has reportedly spiraled into a state of panic. Rather than addressing the systemic issues within his department, Hegseth has taken to the public stage to attack the media, labeling journalists as “Pharisees” and accusing them of having “hardened hearts” calibrated only to impugn his leadership. Critics argue that this aggressive rhetoric is a desperate attempt to deflect attention from his own unpopularity and the growing dissatisfaction within the MAGA wing of the Pentagon. Recent data suggests that Hegseth is uniquely unpopular, sitting 30 points underwater in net popularity—a sharp contrast to historical figures like Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney during similar conflicts.
The tension is further amplified by reports that Hegseth fears he is on Donald Trump’s “chopping block.” His public outbursts and constant “ass-kissing” of the President are seen by many as a survival tactic to avoid being fired in the middle of the escalating conflict with Iran.Meanwhile, the contrast between the treatment of troops and high-profile criminals has become a flashpoint for public anger. Social media users have pointed out that sex criminal Ghislaine Maxwell is reportedly “eating better” in her “five-star resort” prison than our men and women in uniform, who are being sent to risk their lives in a war many feel serves the interests of the elite “Epstein class” rather than American citizens.
As Donald Trump gears up for a $1.5 trillion defense budget, the question of where that money is going has become central to the debate. While billions are earmarked for tech giants and AI development, the basic needs of the frontline defenders—food, mail, and morale—are being ignored. The leaked photos from the ships are more than just a complaint about “slop”; they are a cry for help from a military that feels abandoned by its civilian leaders.
The situation under Pete Hegseth is no longer just a matter of political disagreement; it is a full-scale revolt fueled by the most basic of human needs. As morale reaches an all-time low and the “holy war” narrative fails to satisfy hungry stomachs, the pressure on the Pentagon to change course is reaching a breaking point. For the families of those serving, the message is clear: our service members deserve so much better than this.
