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Taxpayers League of Minnesota eUpdate
1. Taxpayers League Live! with David Strom.
2. Ten days to go and 93% of the work left to be done.
3. Heathens and Ingrates, listen to me: You WANT these tax increases.
4. Education: Yes, SportsPlex: No. Taxpayers win in Farmington.
5. When Gubernatorial appointments go very, very right.
1. Taxpayers League Live! with David Strom.
Tune in this Saturday to AM 1280 The Patriot from 9 – 11 am when David will be joined by Laura Brod and Art Rolnick. Brod, a third-term state representative from New Prague and member of the Taxes Committee, will give us an update from the Capitol and let us know whether or not it’s really time to starting worrying. Rolnick, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis,
is back for another installment of Common Sense Economics 101.
Also, be sure to tune in at 10:05 am for the Capitol report with Phil Krinkie. As always, Phil will let you know whose hands are on your wallet. Unfortunately in this case, it’s going to be a majority of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
2. How many more times does a guy have to say, “no new taxes” before they listen?
If the battered remains of a half-dozen appropriation bills wasn’t enough of a clue as to what type of legislation the Governor doesn’t want to sign, maybe one more veto – this time of the upcoming tax bill – will finally compel House and Senate leadership to pay attention. For those of you not keeping score at home, here’s a recap:
Bonding bill – Vetoed - $334 million saved
Higher Education bill – Vetoed - $3.2 billion saved
Health and Human Services bill– Vetoed - $10 billion saved
State Government Finance bill – Vetoed - $550 million saved
Jobs and Economic Development bill – Vetoed - $370 million saved
Agriculture, Veterans and Military Affairs bill – Line-item Vetoed - $1.3 million saved
Environment and Natural Resources bill – Line-item Vetoed - $1.4 million saved
Veni, Vidi, Veto.
3. Wow, that’s ah… that’s a great compromise plan you got there.
What the DFL sees: a Cecil B. DeMille inspired production with Sen. Steve Murphy and Rep. Bernie Lieder descending from Mt. Sinai with their Ten Commandments-like transportation “compromise” plan that they are ready to present to ungrateful taxpayers.
What we see: a Best Christmas Pageant Ever-like production with conference committee chairmen who keep thinking that Lucy might actually let them kick the football this time.
What I don’t get, is what exactly makes this plan a compromise? Because the gas tax increase is lowered from 10 cents to 7 ½ cents we’re suddenly supposed to sing “blessed be the peacemaker?” Still, we’re looking at wheelage taxes, tab fee increases, a Metro area sales tax increase (with no voter referendum) and enough money for transit to keep the blood-sucking TICs (Transportation-Industrial Complex) in business for decades.
You know, just because you’re taking the Lancômbe off and using Bonnie Bell Lipsmacker instead, it’s still lipstick and it’s still a pig (and it’s still going to get vetoed by the Governor).
4. SportsPlex? We don’t need no stinkin’ SportsPlex.
Farmington’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympic games officially came to an end Tuesday as voters overwhelmingly defeated the school district’s plan to add a for-profit fitness center to an already bloated $100 million construction budget for a new high school.
The “sports and wellness center,” which would have included an Olympic-size pool, two hockey rinks, tennis courts and a fitness center that would have charged membership fees, was defeated 69% to 31% in a vote that brought out a stunning 40% of the district’s voters.
Opposition to the district’s plan came from a grassroots organization of citizens (Tim Burke and the folks at NoSportsPlex.org) who launched an impressive informational campaign designed to educate voters about Farmington’s most recent stab at grand larceny.
This just confirms that voters know the difference between money for improving educational outcomes and a taxpayer subsidy for a fitness complex.
5. The Gipper. RIP, but still saving western civilization.
From Tuesday’s Los Angeles Times:
“An otherwise unassuming career jurist, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer found himself thrust into semi-celebrity last week when he sentenced Paris Hilton to jail.
“Hilton and her spokespeople have since decried the 45-day sentence as unfairly harsh and out of step with her crime of repeatedly driving with a suspended license. Bloggers and celebrity watchers across the country have weighed in, alternately criticizing the ruling and applauding Sauer for standing up to Hilton's reckless ways and consequence-free lifestyle.
“Appointed to Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1972 by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan, Sauer was elevated to the Superior Court bench in 2000 when the two courts combined. In 2003, he was moved from criminal court cases to misdemeanor arraignments — a posting heavy on traffic violations and DUIs.”
The Taxpayers League of Minnesota's E Update is written by Mark Giga
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