GOP have to allow tax increase to end shutdown

Published 10:30am Monday, July 4, 2011
Comments

The Republican majority in the Minnesota Legislature can blame Gov. Mark Dayton all they want, and talk about how a tax on the richest Minnesotans will kill jobs.

But the bottom line is, it appears that if the state shutdown, which began Friday, will end, the Republicans are going to have to allow the tax increase.

While Republican leaders have talked about compromising on various spending bills and creating a “lights-on” bill, none have said they are willing to even consider Dayton’s proposed income tax increase.

It’s clear that Dayton believes that, no matter where the cuts come from, increasing taxes is a more palatable option than cutting additional spending. It’s also clear that, for Dayton, who left the U.S. Senate after only one term, re-election is not a priority.

The Republicans, it seem, have no choice. But if and when they do approve a tax increase, they will have options.

If evidence is found that the tax increase caused business owners to cut back on employees or move their businesses elsewhere, their gubernatorial candidate can make a great case to Minnesota voters in 2014.

And if the Republicans win the governorship and both majorities in 2014, they can eliminate the tax increase.

For now, however, it’s time to give Dayton his tax increase, and remove the barricades to state parks.

Comments
  1. Larry Erickson July 4, 2011 at 6:09 pm <Link>

    There ARE services that state government needs to supply. These need to be paid for. Costs for these services go up. Simple and true. The unfortunate thing to me this session is the time wasted using phoney budget numbers or unrealistic hopes and dreams from “best guessers” not part of the finance department. It would have been a much better use of legislators time to determine what services we really need, how much they cost and how to pay for them. But no, some played politics. (I understand the FF Journal is not suggesting tax increases for the sake of tax increases, only that it seems to be what will be necessary to come to a deal. I agree. But I am proud the paper of my home town has the insight and intelligence to see the most logical and expeditous solution.)

  2. David Lindberg July 5, 2011 at 11:17 am <Link>

    It seems ironic to me that so many people have an opinion to a proses that has a simple solution. The truth is not a single Representative can do anything, Republican or Democrat. Not a single Senator, Republican or Democrat is capable of any action. Neither a Republican nor Democrat in either the House or Senate is capable of any action on any issue period. The Legislature has been adjourned by Minnesota State law! Only one man has the power to change that, DFL Dayton. Only one man has the power to stop the shutdown, DFL Dayton. Only one man has the ability to start the debate again, DFL Dayton. Only one man has the power to bring the legislature back to work to solve this problem, DFL Dayton. Only DFL Dayton can call a special session. Until then there can be no compromise, no debate, no budget, and no end to the shutdown. Only DFL Dayton has the ability to bring Republicans and Democrats back to St. Paul to solve this problem. Call upon our governor DFL Dayton to call a special session. Until then nothing can be done, except voice opinions, and remember what your parents said about those.

  3. Dave Adams July 5, 2011 at 12:31 pm <Link>

    Again and Again, the Republicans have sat down with guy only to have him leave the table to walk his dog. The guy behaves like he has attention deficit issues. He only talks to Baak and Thiessen, when they can gain his attention, which is not much.
    Minnesota’s Government shutdown, and this guy can only walk the dog, while other Minnesota families are without a job or service. But I suppose Democrat Dayton ate well over the holiday weekend. I also suppose his dog did not go hungry either…..
    Democrat Dayton is not leading, just demanding. Democrat Dayton cannot sign one Bill to furnish an operating government without demanding the kitchen sink with it. Democrat Dayton cannot deal with only a piece of pie, no—Democrat Dayton wants the whole Pie and to take the pan home with him.
    Yet, THIS NEWSPAPER demands the Republican’s RAISE TAXES just to get the Parks open again. I have to question the fairness of the writer of this editorial and his ability to understand the realities of hopeless spin vs. leadership. Their only solution IS TO RAISE TAXES to settle up with Democrat Dayton’s lack of executive acumen.
    The Republicans have gone out of their way to work with this Governor.
    It’s Democrat Dayton’s move!
    It’s Democrat Dayton’s choice for the Shutdown!
    It’s Democrat Dayton who can or won’t call a Special Session!
    Its Democrat Dayton’s fault people have lost their jobs and services are down!
    It’s Democrat Dayton who has ignored his own promises and his responsibilities to the people of Minnesota!

  4. Jennifer Moser July 5, 2011 at 1:32 pm <Link>

    I am so tired of hearing that if the rich or businesses have to pay a dime the world will end. Many people don’t understand that most large companies (GE, MGM Studios, etc.) don’t pay any taxes at all. There are tax loopholes that allow companies in America to outsourse there services and get away with having to do pay American’s decent wages and safe working environments. America will lose to the sweat shops if we don’t end loopholes for companies investing oversees.

    Its so ridiculous that the Republicans claim to do the “lords work” and are “working for the average family.” They are not, they are putting the average family on welfare and requiring them to start a business or live life in poverty. There are no jobs so where do you apply?

    These budget cuts aren’t in the right area, and they don’t make big corporations pay there fair share nor do they level the playing field.

    Everyone should be req’d to pay taxes. Republicans have cut 100 billion in taxes to big corporations in California alone. Most of the companies are moving to Indonesia now because they can pay cheaper wages, Mexico has slowed down because they have caught the American “fair wages fair labor” bug. Companies hate this.

    In Missouri, there governor just demanded a rollback to child labor laws. Get to work slaves! Blame it on the little guy who just can’t get a break!

  5. Jennifer Moser July 5, 2011 at 1:50 pm <Link>

    Just thought I would add that in the last days before the fall of Rome. Republicans were in control, tax cuts were required and the poor were cut from every budget. Each politician served a 6 month term before re-elected. Can you guess where America is going?

  6. Dave Adams July 5, 2011 at 2:08 pm <Link>

    Jennifer Moser:
    Please know your History before comparing Republicans to Roman Dictators. Roman Emperors pandered Liberal Intitalments of Bread and Circus to the Roman Mob. The Conservative Roman Republic was far long gone, some 500 years when Rome fell. Hmmm…sounds a lot in common with Modern Unions.

  7. William Schulz July 6, 2011 at 12:06 am <Link>

    To a conservative, suggesting that they pass a tax because they will have the option in future to eliminate the increase is the same as listening to the serpent in the Garden of Eden urging Eve, “Go ahead, just take one bite of the forbidden fruit. It won’t hurt you. It will make you smarter(win you more votes, make the anti-conservative press like you, get you invited to the soirees of the beautiful people).” Raising taxes is antithetical to those who believe that the purpose of government is to do as the people say, not to order the people about. There can be no political or personal freedom without economic freedom, and every tax is an infringement on the people to decide for themselves how to use their own money, an erosion of their liberty, a step closer to tyrannical rule by a strong , entrenched government. Our governments, State and national, have grown large by promising to give to people goods, services, which they have previously had to earn for themselves – then finding victims to tax to confiscate the funds to keep the promises to the ever growing dependent class. The election of 2010 was an expression of the people that they are fed up with the outrageous growth of government, a demand that the brakes be applied. The GOP majority in the legislature know that if they cave into Dayton’s obsession with raising taxes, those who vote to raise the taxes will likely be recalled by their own constituents even before next year’s session. Another point not spoken to here is that the GOP offered to Dayton that if he called the legislature for a special session to enact a lights on bill , the leaders would sign an agreement with Dayton that the session would deal with only the matter of lights on bills. Yet Dayton refused, choosing to force the most pain possible. Don’t throw out that red herring about the legislature running wild with other bills, they want to get back to their real jobs and families.

  8. Mr lincoln July 7, 2011 at 6:55 am <Link>

    7700

  9. William Schulz July 8, 2011 at 3:13 am <Link>

    The only jobs government or politicians can create are GOVERNMENT JOBS, and we already have too many of those with their snouts in the public trough. The GOP campaigned on the promise to assist in the creation of jobs by holding down taxes and reforming government, i.e, to identify and expose those structures and regulations within State government which inhibit, not assist the creation of private sector jobs, and then write legislation to simplify and streamline governmental processes so that start up businesses and existing firms are not thwarted in the creation of jobs and business revenues by the cumbersome aparat of a State government which has become, under almost 40 years of socialist DFL political practices, hostile to business and commerce, obstructive of innovation and expansion of successful business models.
    Now this is a process which seems to be anethema to the editorial management of this paper, hence, their obtuse and stubborn demands that only soaking taxpayers and spending beyond our means will bring about some vaguely defined paradise on earth. In the twenty-six years I have been reading this paper since I returned from a career elsewhere, there have been several management changes in the Journal’s editorial offices, but the last years since roughly the departure of the publisher Jim Morgan have seen the paper evolve, or more appropriately, degenerate, into a leftist rag intent on promoting leftist politspeak, with a deliberate withdrawal from common sense and the readership. I can’t think of a special project requoring a tax increase in this city in fifteen years which the Journal hasn’t ballyhooed as necessary, decent, the right thing to do. Mathematic calculations are to this editorial staff a nuisance standing in the way of their Pollyanna like fantasies of creating a perfect world – they only care that someone else pay for that world. Some inconvenient math for you: For Dayton to raise 1.8 billion dollars by raising the taxes of 7700 millionaires, each of them will have to pay at least $233,000 in taxes to meet Dayton’s goals of extra money for which, by the way, he refuses to tell what he will spend it on. Under current tax rates, that million dollar earner pays about $80,000 per million. Anyone capable of earning a million a year is capable of earning it anywhere he chooses to live, and will likely move. Now, if Dayton spends that money, and the rich have moved away so they can’t be taxed, and the poor can’t afford to be taxed, who do you think is going to have to foot the bill for Dayton’s slush fund? Who is left but the middle class to pay for Dayton’s schemes? Better Dayton get off his spoiled rich brat tantrum and face reality, the GOP can do the arithmetic and were sent to St. Paul by their constituents to pass a budget that hews to the principle of living within our means. Even little orphan Annie has to grow up someday. Time for Markie Dayton and the Daily Journal to face facts and allow the State to recover from the damage caused by Dayton’s shutdown.

  10. July 11, 2011 at 7:31 am <Link>

    The wealthy don’t flee high tax states and they don’t create jobs either. The one and only thing that creates jobs is demand or sales.

    Both supposed facts are nothing more than boggie men created by the wealthy and their
    republican friends to scare others and preserve tax breaks for the wealthy.

Editor's Picks