Sen. Vandeveer Finishes Wrong-Priority Session with Little to Showcase
Senator Ray Vandeveer and legislative Republican majorities rang down the final gavel on the 2012 legislative session today — ending a two-year legislative session marked by partisan divides, a state government shutdown, and heavy state borrowing.
"Sen. Vandeveer and his Republican colleagues pursued an agenda that was too extreme, and did too little on the things that matter most to middle class families," Carrie Lucking, Executive Director of the Alliance for a Better Minnesota said. "Stillwater and Forest Lake families can’t afford to pay even higher property taxes, but Sen. Vandeveer chose to raise taxes on them instead of ending tax breaks for big corporations."
In the past two years, Sen. Vandeveer and the Republican-led legislature have been dogged by the lowest approval ratings in Minnesota history in public polls. Over 50% of Minnesotans consistently give the Republican-controlled legislature failing marks. [KSTP/SurveyUSA, 2/8/12] The following critical votes over the past two years have raised Minnesotans’ ire:
>> Sen. Vandeveer voted to cut area Local Government Aid by over $4.5 million, forcing a projected property tax increase on homeowners and potential reductions in police, firefighters, and critical services. [MN House Research, HF 42 Conference Committee Report]
>> Sen. Vandeveer voted to end the Market Value Homestead Credit, causing a projected 3.7% property tax increase in Washington County. [MN House Research, HF 20, special session]
>> Sen. Vandeveer voted to cut area schools by over $1.2 million [MN House Research, HF 934] and borrow $700 million from Minnesota’s children, leaving them a $2 billion IOU and no plan to pay it back. [HF 26, special session]
Sen. Vandeveer spent his time at the legislature supporting special deals and tax breaks for big corporations and their lobbyists, at the expense of his nearly 79,000 constituents:
>> Sen. Vandeveer voted to make it harder for consumers to hold big corporations accountable when they do wrong and voted to allow corporations to avoid paying their taxes by hiding profits overseas. [SF149, SF373, SF429, SF530, SF1236; HF130, HF 42 - Senate Journal 1213]
Markus
9:29 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012
This is a typical disingenuous smear piece from someone who believes they are entitled to the fruits of another person's labor.
Let's look at his points with some perspective.
First of all partisan divides are a good thing. It promotes debate and prevents law from being enacted rashly.
The state government shutdown? Outside of being able to obtain a permit from some arbitrary state agency, most of us producers were none the worse for wear. In fact traffic was a lot lighter and made for a nicer commute.
Heavy state borrowing. You can blame that on Governor Dayton. He vetoed a bill sent to him that required no borrowing.
Cuts to LGA. Thank goodness for that. Now the taxpayers will see how their local governments are really screwing them when they have to levy them directly to fund all their new cop cars and fancy fire departments.
Homestead credit going away. There should be no type of credit for property tax. Again, local governments should levy their property owners directly for their overspending. If they actually had to do that there would be a tax revolt.
Cutting local school aid. Same principle applies as above. Why would any taxpayer in their right minds want to send their money to St. Paul first and then have to grovel for a little piece of it back? Lower the income tax rate and the school districts can levy the property owners for the entire amount. Think there would be a little more accountability?
continued....
Markus
9:53 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012
Where is it written that corporations especially if they're big are somehow evil and should be required to shoulder a larger tax burden? Remember the old adage. Corporations don't pay taxes. Those who purchase their products do. Making it easy to do business in MN should be the goal, not to tax them out of existence. (Or out of the state at least) I wonder how much tax revenue the State of California is losing by having Apple based in Nevada? Maybe they should consider lowering their rates a little.
Maybe people who own 3M stock should be punished with higher tax rates as well because they own shares in a BIG BAD CORPORATION. It's no wonder businesses would consider moving their operation offshore or out of state to avoid all the regulatory and tax burdens imposed on them by people who think like the author of this piece.
The worn out mantra about how much the left cares about families and children just doesn't seem to have the luster it once used to. They really care more about making sure we're good little sheep who follow their prescriptions for our lives.