Pirates in Minnesota!!

Piracy is not only occurring on the high seas.  It’s happening right here in the Minnesota state legislature.

 

DFL leaders in the House and Senate have helped to pass gigantic tax increases to close a $6.4 billion budget deficit of their own creation. The Senate plan calls for an across-the-board income tax increase to collect $2 billion in new revenues.

 

The House plan is a patchwork of tax hikes on income, tobacco, alcohol, recreational vehicles, and even includes a tax on homeowners who have higher energy (natural gas) use during winter months (shame on you for using your furnace when the temperature is below zero).  Property tax caps are swept away and counties will be given the option to increase local sales taxes by .5%.  The House bill also eliminates some pretty substantial tax deductions, like the mortgage interest deduction and education tax credits.

Because the House and Senate plans are different, their next stop is a conference committee, where members of the House and Senate will put their heads together to reconcile differences in the bills (and possibly make the tax-hikes even bigger) before sending the final bill to the Governor’s desk.

These bills do nothing to address the fundamental problem of out-of-control government spending. They solely rely on the taxpayer’s wallet and accounting shifts (delaying payment until later) and one-time money, meaning the legislators will be back looking for even more tax dollars in two years when they have to make good on delayed payments and one-time money is no longer available.

In the midst of a serious economic recession in combination with the state’s record budget deficit, it is simply amazing that these lawmakers are not giving serious consideration to substantial cuts in state spending. They have spent the state into the red and now they want to balance the budget on the backs of Minnesota families and businesses.

TAKE ACTION

1. Call your Representative and let them know what you think about their vote on the House Tax Bill:
http://capwiz.com/mnmajority/callalert/index.tt?alertid=13239661&type=ST

2. Call your Senator and let them know what you think about their vote on the Senate Tax Bill:
http://capwiz.com/mnmajority/callalert/index.tt?alertid=13239731&type=ST

3. The Governor’s veto pen is the only thing standing in the way of these tax bills becoming law. The governor has said he will veto and tax increase. Contact the governor now and tell him you support his veto of the tax bill:
http://capwiz.com/mnmajority/callalert/index.tt?alertid=13239911&type=SW

4. Be sure to attend the Tax Cut Rally at the State Capitol on Saturday:

 www.TaxCutRally.com

~ by maddmedic on April 29, 2009.