To the Editor:
Good news for all Minnesotans came with the release of the February budget forecast. The report showed Minnesota has a $3 billion budget surplus for this biennium and we are projected to have a $782 million surplus for 2016-17.
If you remember, two years ago Republicans took majority in the House and Senate and began the legislative session with a $5.1 billion budget deficit. Working with Governor Dayton, we turned that deficit into a more than $3 billion surplus.
Slowing the growth of government and removing barriers to private sector economic expansion has resulted in drastically improving the 2014-15 budget outlook by $3.8 million. This forecast is the fifth straight report of economic improvement for our state.
Minnesota has made it through one of the worst economic climates in state history. Unemployment is on the decline and new businesses are sprouting up around the state. However, Governor Dayton is proposing to reverse this growth with the largest tax increase in Minnesota history: $3.7 billion to fix a $627 million gap.
Governor Dayton’s taxes will touch everyone. He wants to increase taxes on citizens, cities, counties, businesses and expand the sales tax to nearly every good and service. Even teens who babysit and mow lawns will be required to collect sales taxes.
As a member of the Tax committee, I heard testimony from small business owners about the job-killing, business-crushing effects of this budget proposal. One business wrote, “We have survived all the competitive pressures of the past several years. It is ironic that our government is our biggest threat to drive us out of business or to force mass lay-offs.”
We can continue this economic improvement if we enact policies that encourage private sector job growth. I look forward to working with my colleagues on that goal. A drastic increase in taxes to pay for bigger government, however, is not wise policy.
Sincerely,
Sarah Anderson
State Representative – District 44A
Plymouth