Rice County Republicans

Based on their many letters and columns in the papers in Rice County, the DFL legislators made property tax reductions their top priority this session. Bottom line, they achieved zero reductions and proper6ty tax rates continue marching upward despite the downturn in home prices.

What in fact passed one or both houses of the legislature was a cornucopia of almost $5 billion of tax increases. What saved the tax-paying electorate was Gov. Pawlenty’s veto pen. Bottom line result: no property tax cuts and no tax increases.

Because the new House DFL leadership tried to jam most of the session’s important bills into the last day, they adjourned before all but one attempt to override a veto and that one failed. They were in such a hurry to put this session behind them and adjourn on time; the Speaker even denied the entire Republican caucus access to the microphone in the closing hours.

So what did they accomplish? The DFL laid out for electorate $5 billion worth of new taxes and spending programs. After their “soak the rich” 9.7 percent tops-in-the nation individual income tax bracket failed, the DFL showed their real colors with plans to tax everyone! An across the-board 7.2 percent income tax increase would have hit the poorest income tax payer the same as the richest. But it was worse than that.

The gasoline tax increases (ranging from a nickel up to nearly 28 cents/gallon over time) would also hit drivers who are too poor to pay any income tax. Same with the sales tax increases. And the tab fees and mileage fees on drivers. And the intangible property tax increase that only utilities pay in Minnesota, and which they are allowed by regulations to pass on100 percent to rate payers, even the poorest people on welfare.

Maybe the entire DFL performance in St. Paul this year was meant to be a warm up to the comedian Al Franken’s future comedy routine in Minnesota.

Doug Jones

Northfield