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Taxpayers League of Minnesota eUpdate
1. Taxpayers League Live! with David Strom.
2. One step closer to “Google Government.”
3. A new year, but the same o ld fleecing from local government.
4. The Netherlands: It’s not just for stoned college kids anymore.
5. “Educated Into Irrelevance: How the Humanities Degree Mis-prepares You for Life.”
1. Taxpayers League Live! with David Strom.
Tune in this Saturday to AM 1280 The Patriot from 9 – 11am when David will be joined by Marlo Lewis, Mike Franklin and Jim Frogue. Lewis, a Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, is probably best described as the rational antidote to the Algore “global warming today, global warming tomorrow, global warming forever” crowd. Franklin, who serves as energy policy manager for the Minnesota Chamber Commerce, will provide us with an update from the Capitol and what Democratic control of the Legislature means for Minnesota businesses. During the second hour, Frogue, State Project Director at Newt Gingrich’s Center for Health Transformation, will give us the latest on the battle to bring free-market solutions to our nation’s health care problems.
Also, be sure to catch David’s appearances on Almanac tonight and At Issue on Sunday morning.
2. The best thing to come out of Washington since…ever?
Last fall in this space I noted the passage of the Coburn/Obama Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act – a bill which would create a “Google”-like, searchable database of federal spending. The folks at the Office of Management and Budget who will be creating the website (due to appear in January 2008), are currently out with a temporary site (www.FederalSpending.gov), designed to “solicit feedback from the public on how to shape the search engine of the website to generate the most complete results.” Stop by, take a look and give them your two-cents. Also mentioned previously in this space, that same type of legislation is making its way through the legislative process in St. Paul. The Minnesota bill, HF 376/SF 416 authored by State Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Eden Prairie) and State Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope), aims provide the same type of accountability for any entity receiving state funds.
3. I wonder what kind of property tax relief $3.6 million will buy you?
That might be a good question to ask your county commissioner, city councilman or school board member next time you see them. Chances are they have no idea (but I bet Phil Krinkie does). And after KSTP ran this story earlier this week (complete with commentary from Phil) about how local units of government are spending tax dollars (your money) lobbying state legislators for more tax dollars (your money again), they’ll probably be forced to get an education real quick. Check out the video clip linked above and then call your local government representatives and ask them how many “government coalitions” or “member associations” or “advocacy partnerships” they belong to. More importantly, ask them how much it’s costing you.
4. A lifetime spent dodging responsibility is now spent dodging the tax man.
I’m guessing most rock stars skipped out of school without much of a lesson in economics. But based on a story from ABC news this week, they’re starting to catch on to at least one hard and fast economic principle: money is smarter than a politician’s good (or bad) intentions. Here’s an example. If state “A” raises taxes (especially taxes that affect business), you better believe companies are going to start looking for real estate in states “B,” “C” or “D.” Also, if state “A” (still unclear about the effects of the principle above) decides to, let’s just say maybe raise the minimum wage, companies are going to hire fewer workers (because fry cooks, janitors and grocery baggers just aren’t worth $8, $9 or $10 an hour). And if state “A” (or country “A” in this case), decides that confiscating the earnings of a couple of workingclass, street-fighting men named Mick and Keith is the best economic decision they can make, well then off to the Netherlands it is. But don’t blame the Stones or U2 (no matter how pompous and messianic Bono acts). Money is money and even rock stars see the futility in sacrificing their livelihoods to the giant suck that is the welfare state.
For another take on Bono and U2s quest for “tax efficiency,” check out David’s Townhall.com column from January 8, “Kudos for Bono.”
5. Enlightenment and free pizza from the Tocqueville Center
The Tocqueville Center at the U of M cordially invites you to a talk by Professor Mark Bauerlein entitled, “Educated Into Irrelevance: How the Humanities Degree Mis-prepares You for Life.” Professor Bauerlein is the author of Literary Criticism: An Autopsy, and Director of Research and Analysis for the National Endowment for the Arts. He also teaches English at Emory University. His talk will take place on Tuesday, February 20th, at 12:30 pm, in Coffman Union’s President’s Room. The event is free and open to the public, and complimentary pizza will be available. For more information, please call (612) 310-8756.
The Taxpayers League of Minnesota's E Update is written by Mark Giga
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