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Health & Fitness

Drive-by legislating or wise governance?

Minnesotans pay dearly for their government. This year, for instance, they are paying through increased income, sales, and (in some jurisdictions) property taxes. Minnesotans are paying through increased fees too. Additionally, we pay for government’s regulatory powers through the diminution of our individual freedom (recall the ‘social contract’ taught by our high school social studies teacher) and our time (think ‘tax freedom day’).

Given the high costs we pay for government, taxpayers should rightfully expect quality representation and governance. Are we getting it? I believe there are many examples showing that we are not getting the political leadership we deserve.

This year, the governor proposed and his DFL allies passed a law that taxes labor on equipment repair. In an environment where we encourage reuse and recycling, how wise is that? Equipment breaks or begins to wear – throw it away and buy new. This is Minnesota’s version of “cash-for-clunkers.” Apparently, our current batch of leaders wants us to thoughtlessly consume rather than reduce our ecological footprint.

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Belatedly, the Governor says the repair tax was a mistake and should be repealed. Yet, the September 9 special session spent $4.5 million for disaster relief but not a penny to relieve the burden of the DFL’s tax mistake. The storm-relief dollars are important because they will help southern Minnesota counties recover from recent damage. However, if the state’s $4.5 million payment is important to the recovery of the southern part of the state, how much more important is fixing the $28 million DFL tax mistake for the whole state?

It is generally accepted that broadband and high speed internet are critical to keeping up in a competitive economy. Nevertheless, contrary to the best interests of the state (particularly the out-state), the 2013 DFL majority imposed a new $75 million state sales tax on telecommunications equipment. Bipartisan opposition has been voiced by many including former DFL leader Margaret Anderson Kelliher.

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While some politicians advance themselves by claiming that they are for the 99%, the policies of our current political leadership belie their confusion: Billionaire Ziggy Wilf gets tens of millions in taxpayer subsidies, and Dayton commits the state to building Wilf’s Vikings a stadium based on Dayton’s wildly over-estimated gambling revenues and cigarette taxes on Minnesota lowest-income residents.

The DFL pass into law a $100 million tax that penalizes small and medium-sized businesses that rely on warehouse service within the state – but the same law leaves big businesses, who own their own warehouses, exempt.

I propose that Governor Dayton and the DFL legislature have two paths that they can choose going forward. The paths are represented by voices of their own party. The first voice is that of the liberal, former presidential candidate George McGovern. After a career as a pro-tax, big-government legislator, McGovern attempted and failed in business. After that experience, he wrote, “I wish that during the years I was in public office, I had had this firsthand experience about the difficulties business people face every day.”  The second voice is that of Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison who recently told his Democrat colleagues, “[T]he bottom line is we’re not broke; there’s plenty of money; it’s just the government doesn’t have it. “

The handful of examples noted above are not exhaustive but are sufficient to show that what Minnesota suffered during the 2013 session was drive-by legislation. Citizens who had been peaceably going about their lives were made indiscriminate victims with the simple, ill-conceived flick of the Governor’s signature on numerous DFL bills.

Government entities, programs, and employees will always be able to spend more tax dollars than what the citizens can provide them. Wise governance requires that state leaders carefully investigate and implement thoughtful policies, which strengthen the state and its quality of life through competition among providers of public services, through building local community, and through concentrating limited state resources on a limited scope of items that the state can and must do on behalf of its citizens. 

In District Office Hours

If you would like to meet with me one-on-one, I will be holding in-district office hours the first Monday  of the month October thru February from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Jo Jo’s Rise and Wine (12501 Nicollet Ave, Burnsville). Please call my legislative assistant at (651) 296-5975 to make a 15 minute appointment.

 

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