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Taxpayers League of Minnesota eUpdate
1. Taxpayers League Live! with David Strom.
2. By the time you read this, we may be one step closer to the end.
3. The Transportation-Industrial Complex rears its ugly head.
4. We apologize: Melissa Hortman doesn’t hate paint (or painters)…
1. Taxpayers League Live! with David Strom.
Tune in this Saturday to AM 1280 The Patriot from 9 – 11 am when David will be joined by Kurt Zellers and Michele Bachmann and John Kline. Zellers, a third-term State Representative from Maple Grove – and member of the House Taxes Committee – will give us a report from what will most likely be a floor session that has just finished up. Bachmann, a first-term Congresswoman from the 6th District, will give us the latest news from Washington, D.C. and the prospects for tax relief coming out of the 110th Congress.
2. No relief, no reform, no cuts. Just more taxes and less accountability.
Of course, it’s the omnibus tax bill – and it’s probably being debated on the House floor as we speak (get live coverage here). The last of the state government finance bills for the 2007 legislative session is finally on the House floor and debate on this one promises not to disappoint. DFLers, not content with simply creating a new tax bracket to punish Minnesota’s job providers, have also come up with a property tax “reform” package that is particularly stinky for two reasons. The first, is that Minnesota property owners aren’t going to see a dime of relief. Unlike the Governor’s proposal, which sends rebates back to those who overpaid to begin with, the House bill leaves taxpayers relying on the benevolence of local units of government to give us back what they think we might deserve.
Second, by tying property tax payments to a homeowners ability to pay (kind of Karl Marxish if you ask me), local governments will now have carte blanche when it comes to jacking up tax levies. How would that work, sez you? Just like this sez I; let’s say you and your neighbor own houses that are about the same size and have about the same value. But let’s also say you make quite a bit more than your neighbor. Since your neighbor’s income is fixed or stagnant, the amount of tax he’s going to pay is pretty predictable. But since you’re earning more – and may earn more in the future – local governments will be able to stick the bill to one group of people who will be paying a greater share for services that everyone uses.
Also, be sure to check out the latest radio ads from FreedomWorks. I think this one is playing in Albert Lea, but it works all the same.
3. And they’re heading straight for your wallet.
If you listen to talk radio in Minnesota, you may have recently heard ads from a group called Progress in Motion (PiM). PiM, and similar groups such as the Minnesota Transportation Alliance, are all part of the same Transportation-Industrial complex (Phil’s line) that wants one thing, and one thing only: your tax dollars lining their pockets. Sure, they will repeatedly state up-and-down that they only have Minnesotans best interests in mind. But when it comes to finding serious solutions to transportation problems, their constant refrain is, “just give us more money and our engineers, consultants and county administrators will think of something.” First, read David’s latest Townhall.com column – Liberalism 101 – and learn about the mania that drives their thinking. Then, click over to the Reason Foundation and find their three short “Frequently Asked Question” documents on innovative transportation financing tools like public-private partnerships, leasing toll roads and HOT lanes.
4. …only people who buy homes and pay sales tax in the Metro area.
Earlier this week, it was brought to our attention that the “Ready for as much as $5 Billion in New Taxes?” flyer that we have been distributing around the state had an error on it. On the front side of the flyer near the bottom of the page we incorrectly identified State Rep. Melissa Hortman [D-Brooklyn Park] as the author of a bill that would raise the tax on paint in Minnesota by a nickel. For our mistake, Rep. Hortman, we apologize. Let it be known that Melissa Hortman only wants to tax anyone having anything to do with buying a home or anyone who purchases anything subject to the sales tax. That’s it (though I guess the Metro area sales tax increase to pay for transit would affect paint, too). The version on the website has been corrected, those responsible have been sacked.
The Taxpayers League of Minnesota's E Update is written by Mark Giga
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