State Representative Kurt Zellers
351 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155
Phone: (651) 296-5502 E-mail: rep.kurt.zellers@house.mn
For Immediate Release: For more information contact:
January 22, 2013 Peter Glessing (651) 296-4230
News Release
ZELLERS STATEMENT ON GOVERNOR DAYTON’S BUDGET PROPOSAL
ST. PAUL – Rep. Kurt Zellers (R-Maple Grove) released the following statement regarding Governor Dayton’s budget proposal:
Governor Mark Dayton today unveiled a menu of tax increases which forces everyone – even the middle class – to pay more for unchecked growth in government spending.
Promises to tax the rich, simplify the tax code and balance the budget without gimmicks were simply empty words. While most Minnesotans will not pay additional income taxes under his proposed budget, Governor Dayton is forcing all Minnesotans to pay more by raising a number of state taxes.
Governor Dayton’s budget creates a new sales tax on clothes, haircuts, auto repairs and other essential services, increases a metro sales tax to fuel transit spending and continues the K12 shift into the next biennium. The Governor’s plan raises $2 billion in sales taxes alone, yet claims that average Minnesotans won’t pay more. That’s patently untrue. Under the Governor’s budget, Minnesotans who are struggling to make ends meet will pay more in taxes to fund a growing, status quo state government.
Under Dayton’s budget, for example, politicians will keep taxpayer money for funding their campaigns but our seniors will be forced to pay taxes on over-the-counter medication. This is unacceptable. It is a matter of priorities. Based on this budget, Governor Dayton’s priorities are to protect government.
Governor Dayton’s tax and spend policies hurt middle class Minnesota families and put our state at an even more competitive disadvantage to grow jobs and our economy.
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