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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
TAXING JOE SIX PACK’S, SIX PACK
As the Legislative Session enters its final month, I wanted to bring voters up to date on where we have been, what’s left and how the Legislative Leaders in the House and Senate plan to address our budget deficit and balance the budget before the May 18th deadline.
Long before the beginning of the Legislative session in January, the Leaders in St. Paul knew we were going to face a budget deficit. Then at the end of February, we were given the bad news that the deficit would exceed $6 billion. Governor Pawlenty had released his budget and the only question remaining was when the Democrat Leaders in St. Paul would release their plans.
This last week we finally had the bill and the details of the taxes they want to raise on Minnesotans. Up until the vote on the tax bills, they had told us they were only going to “tax the rich”, or, “…make those who can most afford it, pay their fair share.” After looking at this bill, I think most Minnesotans will come to same conclusion I did and would support my emphatic ‘NO’ vote on these massive and oppressive tax increases.
As expected, income tax increases were one of the first taxes to be raised by both the House and Senate Democrat bills. The House bill raises taxes on individuals making $56,561 a year from an already oppressive 7% to a bone crushing 8%! And if you are a married couple filing jointly whose combined income is over $100,000, your rates would go up to the same 8%. The proposal also creates a new, 4th bracket to tax filers over $300,000. This bracket is almost all small business owners who file their business and personal taxes together and will effectively decimate all small business growth and expansion in Minnesota.
The Senate Democrat bill raises taxes on ALL income brackets; starting with single filers who make $17,570 and couples filing $25,680! They also create a new 4th bracket with a 9.25% tax rate! What happen to taxing “the rich”? What happened to tax “fairness”?
But Democrats in St. Paul didn’t stop at income. The House tax bill goes after one of the most sacred deductions we all use and one that is most beneficial to young families – the ability to deduct the interest you pay for your home mortgage. Did you know that even during the Great Depression NO ONE in our government took away the taxpayers ability to deduct their mortgage interest? But the insatiable appetite for more government spending in St. Paul has lead them to believe it’s a good idea to take this away from hard working Minnesota taxpayers. I believe this is fundamentally wrong and my primary reason for voting ‘NO’ on the bill.
But they weren’t satisfied with income and mortgage deductions. The House plan takes away your ability to deduct charitable donations and if you donate an organ (yes, one of your body parts). It also raises taxes each time you or you kids download music, videos or books to your iPod. And lastly they think it’s a good idea to raise taxes on Joe Six Pack’s six pack, alcohol, wine and a .52 cent increase on cigarettes.
Our financial troubles are too serious to waste time and energy on taxes that will kill jobs and take more out of the family budget. Governor Pawlenty has said he will veto all of these oppressive and job killing taxes. I will stand with Governor Pawlenty and uphold any veto override attempts.
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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