DFL Education Foundation

Minnesota's Fiscal Challenges

The September Stone Arch welcomed Christina Wessel of the Minnesota Budget Project, and Dane Smith from Growth & Justice. They came to spell out the upcoming budget challenge, and to dispel some myths about who is paying taxes in Minnesota, and how much they’re paying. If you think the wealthy in Minnesota are getting soaked, they’re not. Listen to this enlightening presentation.

This pod cast is brought to us by the DFL Education Foundation and iDream.tv.

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What's new at Growth & Justice

Welcome to Dane Smith, the new leader at Growth & Justice. Mr. Smith came to Stone Arch in September and below is his presentation. Click here Download dane_smith1.m4a

This pod cast was produced by the DFL Education Foundation and iDream.tv.

For the Strib

In watching the debate over taxes in our legislature, I hear little of what the no new taxes group considers to be an unnecessary investment in infrastructure or expenditure for public services.

I don’t hear anyone claiming our highways or transit system are not in need of attention. I don’t hear anyone arguing against the evidence that investment in early childhood education doesn’t have long-range benefits. I don’t hear anyone arguing an educated work force is not critical to the economic well being of the economy of our state. I don't I hear anyone claiming the status quo at the veterans home is acceptable. Nor do I hear claims our tax dollars are being wasted. By all means if money is being wasted let's identify the waste, stop it and transfer the “wasted funds” to needed areas.

It seems to me the question ought to be: Are we getting value for our dollar? If the various investments to be funded by the proposed tax increases are indeed of value, if not critical to the future of this state, it seems we ought to find a way to pay for them. Doing so shouldn’t be impossible, considering we are now paying a smaller portion of our income in taxes than we were a few short years ago.

Dwaine Lindberg

PS A version of this letter appeared in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Raising Taxes Fairly with Joel Kramer

Joel Kramer, of Growth & Justice, spoke at the Stone Arch Discussion Group about more fair ways of funding government in Minnesota. Click the podcast icon to listen to his presentation in its entirety.

This DFL Education Foundation pod cast was produced by LOCATION IMAGES at www.idream.tv. "Promoting Business, Education, and the Arts around the Globe."Download joel_kramer.m4a

Some things never change

For anyone talking about taxes and state funding I couldn’t help feel regret in a recent book passage that I read. In His Excellency George Washington written by Joseph Ellis I found this fascinating little quote on page 59 referencing our first President. “He was not even present at the session of the House of Burgesses in April 1768 when the delegates protested the Townshend Act, a clever (ultimately too clever) measure imposing new duties on colonial imports which the British ministry claimed were not, strictly speaking, taxes.” How interesting that last year certain powers in Minnesota government took their tax policy from the failed notions of King George III, the guy who tried to subjugate the Americas. Health Impact Fees should be taxes and identified as such rather than wasting our time playing 250-year-old games that Americans have already soundly rebutted.
Jeremy Wieland