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State Representative Kurt Zellers
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5502
For more information contact: Austin Bleess 651-296-5529
NEWS COLUMN
IT’S O.K. TO ASK ‘WHY?
Earlier this week the Minnesota Legislature was given the economic forecast for the remainder of this year. It wasn’t good; our budget deficit continued to grow to $6.4 billion. Some at the Capitol are saying the news isn’t ‘so bad’, and the deficit isn’t ‘that bad’ because we received $1.8 billion in Federal Government “Stimulus” money that then lowered the budget deficit to $4.6 billion.
On top of those numbers, we hear that the Obama administration and the Democrat controlled U.S. Congress has already added $1.4 TRILLION to our national debt, which is a train wreck, and now they are looking to spend at least another TRILLION dollars in earmarks, socialized medicine and mortgage bailouts.
It’s enough to make you want to scream ‘STOP! Let me off!’ but we don’t because we are all in this together and we’ll figure it out together. The one thing I have heard a lot lately from folks is; why? Whether it’s at the gym in the morning, at the grocery store at night, at the gas pump while filling up or from my neighbors as we pick-up our mail - the question almost always is ‘why?’
Why are we spending SO MUCH of our kids and grandkids future income today with these bailout plans? Why is the State of Minnesota in such a big budget hole when we just had a surplus 2 years ago? Why does the stock market keep falling the more the government spends while my retirement keeps disappearing with it?
And even more to the point of some of the new spending proposed by the Democrat dominated U.S. Congress and Minnesota Legislature; why does the government want MORE of my tax dollars? Why is the government going to bail out the guy who bought an $800,000 house even though his household income is $50,000 a year? Why is the government going to give a “tax break” to someone that doesn’t pay taxes?
These are good questions to ask, but more importantly - it’s O.K. to ask them! If you listen to the comments from some in the news media or on the editorial boards, they would label you ‘selfish’ or ‘uncaring’ for challenging these massive new spending programs. But please, do not feel bad and do not shy away from asking how and why YOUR money is being spent.
After all, it is YOUR money. Just because the government collects it and they decide where it goes; it doesn’t make it their money. You pay your mortgage (probably a 30 year fixed rate, which meant you didn’t buy more house than you could afford); you make your car payments (if you’re like me, it’s for a ‘new’ used car); you pay all of your utilities every month (which probably includes basic cable these days, no extras) and of course you pay your taxes.
The vast majority of Minnesotans are doing this every day. All they want to know is that their hard earned tax dollars are being spent the right way. And if the government does come asking for more, NEW taxes - why? That’s our job as citizens, and it’s O.K.IT’S O.K. TO ASK ‘WHY?’
News Items
- Loss of a friend, Stanley Crooks - (Posted: 2012-08-25 00:00:00)
- MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE APPROVES $167.5 MILLION DISASTER RELIEF BILL Reforms targeted at accountability included in bill - (Posted: 2012-08-24 00:00:00)
- HOUSE SPEAKER KURT ZELLERS AND SENATE MAJORITY LEADER SENJEM ANDSTATEMENT ON TODAY’S SUPREME COURT HEARING ON VOTER ID AMENDMENT - (Posted: 2012-07-17 00:00:00)
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