Change...
So a couple of days ago, "Michael" posts this comment on the SD35 Republicans blog.
This was in response to a legislative report that was posted on the site. I want to focus on the final sentence, since it wraps up the context of his rant.
Yes, we are losing jobs because our entrepreneurs, those "wealthy" that Michael decries, are being driven out of the state in droves in fear of the massive tax increases that the DFL is pushing through. Just in the last two weeks the DFL legislature raised taxes on every delivery company and lawn service and courier in the state in the form of a gas tax increase. Those increased expenses are passed on to the customers who in turn quit using those services (because they are too expensive). When enough people quit using those services costs have to be cut and the first thing cut almost every time ARE JOBS! So here we see that increased taxes cost Minnesotans jobs.
Those companies that can afford to move. They move to states (like Utah) which have a low tax climate, a youthful, well educated, hard working work force. If you aren't wed to the state of Minnesota (most likely a government induced forced marriage like Northwest) then you would be smart to think about moving - even if it is just across the border into South Dakota (which many businesses are ALREADY doing Michael).
Let's talk about "mortgaging our children's future" for a moment shall we Michael? Have you looked at this year's bonding bill by chance? Did you happen to notice that the bonding bill (all $1 BILLION DOLLARS of it) is not going toward things like roads and bridges...no it is going for welcome centers and parking lots, convention centers and polar bear habitat, hockey rinks and gorilla exhibits....not exactly things that are going to have a long term effect on boosting the economy - especially when so many of the DFL freshman campaigned on things like building roads and bridges and TAX RELIEF!
Instead of looking at long term economic growth, our friend Michael (and his friends in the DFL lead legislature) are looking at short term band-aids - designed to staunch the bleeding long enough for them to get to the elections in November so that they can say "we tried by the mean old Republicans...." Well it won't work this time Michael. The people of Minnesota are watching what you say and what you DO and if the DFL legislature promises tax relief and instead gives us even more tax INCREASES you can bet your bottom dollar the people will revolt.
Here are a few quick stats for you Michael...the numbers don't lie (these are national numbers FYI)
A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%. (4.0% in Minnesota)
Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we're seen:
1) Consumer confidence plummet;
2) the cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.10 a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
4) American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses);
5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars;
6) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.
America (and Minnesota) voted for change in 2006, and we got it! Spare change.....
Mark Buesgens, you have no sense of how anything works at all. How can you possibly believe that "tax relief" will help the state when thanks to Pawlenty and people like you we have bridges falling down, roads in disrepair, schools not being funded, and our state basically falling apart? Do you understand that taxes are what allow us to live in a civilized society? You and your homeboy Pawlenty love to throw out the old buzzphrase "tax and spend" Democrats; how are "borrow and spend" Republicans any better? They're far worse! Destroying our economy and mortgaging our children's future by never paying for anything and pretending that that makes good financial sense? And yes, fixing our economy should be a top priority: but we don't fix it with historically proven wrong ideas like "trickle-down" economics, borrowing more money, and handing out tax breaks to (primarily) the wealthiest people. We do it with providing a working wage to all folks, keeping our jobs from going overseas, penalizing companies like Wal-Mart that destroy the economy by importing the majority of their stock from China - thereby undercutting American jobs, and working to build a "green" state that is a leader in renewable energy sources. Quit mouthing the same stupid platitudes that the Republicans have been saying for years, pull your head out of the sand, and start earning your salary by HELPING Minnesotans. Nobody is getting killed by taxes - we're getting killed by losing our jobs and not educating our children!
This was in response to a legislative report that was posted on the site. I want to focus on the final sentence, since it wraps up the context of his rant.
Nobody is getting killed by taxes - we're getting killed by losing our jobs and not educating our children!
Yes, we are losing jobs because our entrepreneurs, those "wealthy" that Michael decries, are being driven out of the state in droves in fear of the massive tax increases that the DFL is pushing through. Just in the last two weeks the DFL legislature raised taxes on every delivery company and lawn service and courier in the state in the form of a gas tax increase. Those increased expenses are passed on to the customers who in turn quit using those services (because they are too expensive). When enough people quit using those services costs have to be cut and the first thing cut almost every time ARE JOBS! So here we see that increased taxes cost Minnesotans jobs.
Those companies that can afford to move. They move to states (like Utah) which have a low tax climate, a youthful, well educated, hard working work force. If you aren't wed to the state of Minnesota (most likely a government induced forced marriage like Northwest) then you would be smart to think about moving - even if it is just across the border into South Dakota (which many businesses are ALREADY doing Michael).
Let's talk about "mortgaging our children's future" for a moment shall we Michael? Have you looked at this year's bonding bill by chance? Did you happen to notice that the bonding bill (all $1 BILLION DOLLARS of it) is not going toward things like roads and bridges...no it is going for welcome centers and parking lots, convention centers and polar bear habitat, hockey rinks and gorilla exhibits....not exactly things that are going to have a long term effect on boosting the economy - especially when so many of the DFL freshman campaigned on things like building roads and bridges and TAX RELIEF!
Instead of looking at long term economic growth, our friend Michael (and his friends in the DFL lead legislature) are looking at short term band-aids - designed to staunch the bleeding long enough for them to get to the elections in November so that they can say "we tried by the mean old Republicans...." Well it won't work this time Michael. The people of Minnesota are watching what you say and what you DO and if the DFL legislature promises tax relief and instead gives us even more tax INCREASES you can bet your bottom dollar the people will revolt.
Here are a few quick stats for you Michael...the numbers don't lie (these are national numbers FYI)
A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%. (4.0% in Minnesota)
Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we're seen:
1) Consumer confidence plummet;
2) the cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.10 a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
4) American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses);
5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars;
6) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.
America (and Minnesota) voted for change in 2006, and we got it! Spare change.....
Labels: Tax Relief
posted by The Lady Logician at
3:50 PM
3 Comments:
Allow me to share some anecdotal history: A conservative legislative candidate some years ago in a district represented by a young liberal DFLer chanced upon some 13 wealthy entrepreneurs living in that growing district. In addition to these moneyed folks – you probably know the type from your proximity to Lord’s Island – a number of other conservative and moderate people from the district decided to assist this great campaign journey which led to success for the conservative candidate. Interestingly, within four years after the conservative candidate was elected (along with a moderate/conservative governor) 12 of these generous community involved people of means were not in Minnesota. Some had businesses that they sold and others changed the way they did business so that their Minnesota operations did not require their presence. This conservative candidate, being now a conservative legislator (an ALEC darling) discovered that the reasons were varied for the migrating constituents: Most were simply tired of Minnesota winters but may have maintained cabins in northern Minnesota or Wisconsin to return in the summer; some moved to be closer with children or other family; some of the empty nesters found coastal homes to use their yachts. While some did mention that their anticipated tax burden would be lessened, none indicated their primary reason for departure was due to the onerous level of taxation on Minnesotans. On the contrary, some felt that the services that were provided, most notably the public schools they, their children and their employees attended was enough to justify the greater tax bite from their income than other regions of our country. The greatest concern these thoughtful leaders had was the way the system of taxation and spending in Minnesota did not seem to have any philosophic basis. For example, why should a large portion of the local taxation be dedicated to what is a shared state responsibility? What is a regressive versus a progressive tax and how should the revenues received be allocated? Is a corporate tax double taxation? The conservative legislator did tackle those important questions but lacked a majority of legislative colleagues to implement. Life is a wonderful journey be it in Minnesota or Utah!
By
Anonymous, at 10:59 PM
You assume that the economy is a "stagnant" thing instead of a fluid cyclical thing. People go into business and they retire. They start businesses and they sell businesses and any politician that relies on just a small set of donors is a really poor politician.
LL
By
The Lady Logician, at 11:53 PM
Two items:
1. Nothing in the post said the folks mentioned were "donors." On the contrary, these former Minnesotans were community leaders tired of the consolidation of power to the state level. The wealth of the anecdotal conservative candidate certainly should not be at issue: Would you have been more gracious if I had said his mortgage was nearly 2/3 of a million dollars?
2. I am sorry, I did not recognize in my comments the "fluid cyclical thing" was associated with the anecdote that was shared - the point was that unreasonable taxes are only a symtom to government ineffectiveness and must be challenged at every opportunity while the true test is keeping an eagle eye on the spending and winners that the government chooses.
And an aside, if you believe that a multi-billion dollar corporation like Northwest Airlines stayed in Minnesota because of the "loan" the state gave to the company I would suggest that you are mistaken.
By
Anonymous, at 4:39 PM
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