Gas woes....

As our state legislators go to try to over-ride Governor Pawlenty's veto of the Transportation funding bill that increases gas taxes by 7.5 cents a gallon, I hope that they will stop to ponder this.

"U.S. families paid $1,000 more on average for gasoline last year than in 2001, as higher prices at the pump ate up a hefty portion of the increase in their paychecks, two consumer groups said Wednesday.
With retail gasoline prices at records, the increase in the tab for gasoline may be significant again this year.
The average U.S. household paid $2,277 for gasoline in 2006, up 78% from 2001, according to estimates from the Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports. The numbers are similar to other estimates, including those from Moody's Economy.com" (emphasis mine)

Then you throw in the increase in the licensing fee and the increase in the metro area sales tax and the increase in the many other taxes that the DFL majority has foisted on the unsuspecting electorate this year.

They did not run on tax increases - they said that there was no reason for a tax increase because we had a $2.2 billion surplus. Well now is the time to hold them to that.

The taxpayers of Minnesota (and the rest of the country) are indeed overtaxed and it is time for our legislators to stop thinking about tax increases and start thinking about the taxpayers.