FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2025
Phillip C. Parrish, Candidate for Minnesota Governor 2026, Slams Walz’s ‘Disastrous’ Budget as a Taxpayer Betrayal
ST. PAUL, MN – Today, Phillip C. Parrish, candidate for Governor of Minnesota in 2026, issued a scathing rebuke of Governor Tim Walz’s proposed FY 2026-27 budget, calling it “an unmitigated disaster” that lives in a “magical world” disconnected from hardworking Minnesotans.
Dear Minnesotans,
Governor Tim Walz’s proposed FY 2026-27 budget is an unmitigated disaster—a fantasy detached from the reality of where revenue comes from and who creates it: you, the hardworking middle class and struggling poor of Minnesota. This $66 billion plan disrespects taxpayers by doubling down on a bloated, sprawling bureaucracy while slashing support for families who’ve chosen private schools over a failing public system. Walz’s budget doesn’t just ignore Minnesota’s fiscal cliff—it accelerates us toward it.
Consider education. Walz’s revised March 2025 budget axes over $100 million in nonpublic pupil aid—$1,080 per student for textbooks, counseling, and transportation—effective July 1, 2025. This punishes 73,000 private school families, many fleeing public schools where test scores lag and bureaucracy thrives. The Department of Education (MDE) spends $400 million on operations, employing 400 staff who rarely see a classroom, while public school outcomes stagnate. Instead of trimming this fat—say, $58 million annually by cutting redundant grant auditors and nonpublic oversight—Walz pours more into a broken system, leaving vulnerable kids and parents to fend for themselves.
This bloat isn’t unique to education. Across agencies, waste festers unchecked. The Department of Human Services (DHS) burns $24 billion yearly, with 7,000 staff and duplicative county roles costing $40 million that could be saved through centralization. The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) squanders $200 million on overlapping grants—$14.5 million savable by consolidation—while the Department of Administration sits on $50 million in half-empty leases, ripe for a $15 million cut. Total potential savings? Up to $160 million annually. Yet Walz ignores these, chasing magic money to fund bureaucrats over taxpayers.
Where did our “historic” $17.6 billion 2023 surplus go? The DFL trifecta torched it: $2.6 billion on universal meals, $1 billion on housing, $5-6 billion on DHS health care hikes—locking in costs that outpace revenue. By FY 2026-27, we’re left with a measly $456 million cushion and a $6 billion deficit looming by 2028-29. Revenue forecasts faltered—corporate taxes dropped 5%—and inflation ate $926 million, but no agency faced accountability. Minnesota ranks among the nation’s worst for fraud—billions lost in federal relief scams—yet Walz points fingers at “Trump chaos” instead of his own mismanagement.
Creating government jobs isn’t job creation—it’s a revenue drain. Every new bureaucrat bleeds taxpayers dry, pushing Minnesota toward bankruptcy. Walz’s budget fills the pockets of paper-pushers claiming to care, while families lose school choice and the poor face a $5 billion deficit wall. This isn’t just fiscal folly—it’s unethical and immoral.
We deserve better. As your candidate for Governor in 2026, I pledge to end this broken Walz-MNDFL era. I’ll cut waste—starting with $160 million from agency bloat—restore private school aid, and hold every dollar accountable. Minnesota’s future belongs to its citizens, not its bureaucrats.
Respectfully dedicated to you,
Phillip C. Parrish
Candidate for Governor of Minnesota 2026
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