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Editorial: Is it a sin to make more money?
Published Thursday, April 23, 2009
Legislators love to raise “sin taxes,” those extra charges on things you shouldn’t be doing in the first place, like drinking or smoking.
The Minnesota House DFL apparently thinks it is also a sin to have a high income. House Taxes Committee Chairwoman Ann Lenzcewski has proposed a tax increase plan that not only raises the cigarette tax by 54 cents and the alcohol tax by 3 cents to 5 cents per drink, it creates a 9 percent tax bracket for people who earn more than $169,700 a year ($300,000 for married couples).
Gov. Tim Pawlenty is sure to veto this or similar proposals that get to his desk.
The proposal would eliminate a lot of current tax breaks and deductions and replace them with credits aimed at those with more modest means.
The proposal would also allow counties to raise sales tax to replace local government aid and hold down property taxes (basically, replacing a recessive tax with another recessive tax), taxing digital downloads.
Worst of all, income and corporate tax breaks for companies participating in the Job Opportunity Building Zones program would disappear. JOBZ is a valuable tool for rural economic development and should be allowed to continue.
Well, it looks like this will be another legislative session going into overtime.
— The Journal of New Ulm, April 21
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Comments
Posted by golfreak (Mike Falk) on April 23, 2009 at 10:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good for the New Ulm paper for printing this and getting the truth out about the DFL majority's goal of taxing the rich and spreading the wealth. I wish our local media would end it's love affair with the DFL.
They see the rich as an easy target because of their high incomes.
We need reform and responsibility at the state level. Let's start making decisions that will put us on track to prosper in the future. This includes NOT RAISING TAXES!!!
Posted by dewdroppedin (anonymous) on April 23, 2009 at 1:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dear hipocryt,
Does your name say it all?
Ok, so +$600, tell us, what was your taxable income last year?
Just wondering.
Posted by NoDFL (anonymous) on April 23, 2009 at 1:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Taxes will kill any growth. But that is what they want. They think if big government and more taxes will keep them in power. It just may. People will not vote to cut off the money they hope they will get. The DFL will never cut spending. This is a bad idea. Just look to the west (CA) to see what lays in our future.
Posted by leftys2221 (anonymous) on April 23, 2009 at 4:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dont they have a Republican governor?
Posted by NoDFL (anonymous) on April 23, 2009 at 6:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yep and he voted to rasie taxes. Bad idea. 10% sales tax what a mess. He may say he is a republican but he is a RINO. What a waste. Just shows how fast power corrupts .
Posted by truthshallprevail (anonymous) on April 23, 2009 at 7:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is not a good situation. Raising taxes in a state where we are 4th highest in the nation is not going to help anyone. Things are not going to get better very soon with this mentality in the state and national government.
Right now everyone needs to get their house in order. Pay off as much debt as you possibly can. Put away some money that is safe and you can get at easily. Even though everyone is saying, "buy, buy, buy"... don't, don't don't... unless you absolutely need it, or you have lots of extra money to help stimulate the economy... save, save, save! And if you do buy, purchase locally and not from the big box stores. If you need a car, buy a car... but if you really don't... don't go into debt to get one now. We need to take care of ourselves and watch out for ourselves because government is only looking out for themselves.
Posted by gone (anonymous) on April 23, 2009 at 7:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The disappointment of this session is in part from the predictable initiative from the DFL to raise taxes. Unfortunately this is an unprecedented recession with many of us having reduced salaries and benefits if we are lucky enough to even retain employment. Obviously, if at no other time, the opportunity should be clear to the legislature, Democratic and Republican alike that it is time to share the pain and reduce spending including compensation for all MN government, legislative, university, and local school district compensation packages. It is time to look past the constraints of lobbying influences, statute-based labor negotiation, and existing bargaining unit contracts to lead, to help rather than meekly attempt to tax and bluster MN out of a truly dire situation.
It appears that the legislative body in total has chosen to take a myopic, short term view of a major readjustment of our economic base. Don't they read the forecasts for the next few years? As those at the higher income levels decline over the next two or three years will the legislature continue to take this naive approach?
Posted by truthshallprevail (anonymous) on April 23, 2009 at 8:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is indeed disappointing that the legislature is short-sighted... thinking of only "now" and their political futures. It's time they started caring about what's right and what's best for we the people and not themselves. It's time we take back our government. We the people....
Posted by BigDog (anonymous) on April 24, 2009 at 9:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well according to the Vatican's new list of seven sins, yes it is a sin to have excessive wealth. Since the Republican Party is accusing the Democrats of wanting to distribute the wealth, I wonder if the Pope thinks that the Republican Party is full of sinners. http://www.boingboing.net/2008/03/10/vat...
Posted by trifid (anonymous) on April 24, 2009 at 10:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There is nothing wrong with money, or even lots of it. Questions how people obtain money deals with ethics. How and why thousands starve to death while others horde and waste food is in the same realm.
The mega rich do share a few crumbs. Why? Do they believe in sharing? Or is it a PR job? Or are they buying hell insurance?
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