Legislative Update from Mark Buesgens

http://www.shakopeenews.com/node/1719

Friends,

Earlier this year I told you of my belief that the budget surplus should be returned to taxpayers. Very simply, the government overcharged its citizens over the last two years and the people deserve their money back. I've also been strong in my belief that we can run our government without further tax increases.

If we apply the same common-sense budgeting to our government that families follow on a daily basis, our state can afford to spend roughly $32.7 billion without increasing taxes. That includes returning the one-time portion of the budget surplus to taxpayers via property tax relief. The rest of the budget surplus, roughly $1.1 billion, is on-going money and demonstrates that not only are tax increases unwarranted, but an income tax cut is surely justified.
This philosophy is core to Republican principles. It is based on our governing principles of common sense, fiscal responsibility and lower taxes. It is based on the fundamental belief that you can better spend your money than can government. While there are a few activities government can and should do, (public safety, infrastructure development, etc.), the simple fact is that our government has become fundamentally intrusive and incredibly expense. All of this is to the detriment of the decent people who've worked to make this state great. If this trend isn't reversed, we will soon lose our greatness.

In this last few updates I've shared some of the "silly bills" that have been introduced so far in 2007. Today I'll share the laundry list of proposed tax increase that have been introduced by our tax-and-spend legislators. Hold on to your hats! (or should I say "wallets"?):

INCOME TAXES ON WORKING MINNESOTANS

Rep. Mindy Greiling (D-Roseville) wants to raise income taxes by $252 million. (House File 1738)

Rep. Ann Lenczewski (D-Bloomington) wants to raise income taxes on 170,000 taxpayers. She added this tax increase with an amendment to House File 1258. It would collect millions more in income taxes.

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SALES TAXES ON CONSUMERS

Rep. Melissa Hortman (D-Brooklyn Park) wants to impose an extra sales tax to pay for transit and other purposes. In the Metro area, there would be one tax increase. In the rest of the state, the new tax could be proposed by any two or more county boards. (House File 1463)

Rep. Rick Hansen (D-South St. Paul) would impose an extra sales tax to raise at least $500 million a year pay for new parks, trails, and habitat projects. (House File 1449)

Rep. Shelley Madore (D-Apple Valley) wants to impose an extra sales tax on the three million people in the metro area to pay for more buses and trolleys. (House File 1112).

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TAX THE DEAD, THE DRIVERS, THE HOMEOWNERS, AND THE PAINT ON THEIR HOMES

Rep. Tom Anzelc (D-International Falls) wants to authorize a new tax on dead people in his area to pay for the Lakeview Cemetery Association. (House File 213).

Rep. Bernie Lieder (D-Crookston) wants to triple a tax on hearses. (House File 946)

Rep. Ken Tschumper (D-La Crescent) wants to raise fuel taxes by 50 percent on gasoline, E85, M85, liquefied petroleum gas, propane, liquefied natural gas, and compressed natural gas. (House File 1469).

Rep. Bernie Lieder (D-Crookston) wants to raise your gas taxes by 50 percent, and allow counties to charge you a wheelage tax, and triple the tax on cars and hearses, and allow counties to raise the sales tax, and put a transportation-impact tax on every building permit, and raise the cost to register vehicles. (House File 946)

Homeowners would face a 50 percent increase when filing any papers related to the purchase, transfer, mortgaging, sale, or other transfer of property. Money from those taxes on homeowners would be given to non-homeowners seeking to rent property or buy their own homes. Rep. Scott Kranz (D-Blaine) wrote House File 939.

Rep. Melissa Hortman (D-Brooklyn Park) wants to collect more taxes on local deeds and mortgage documents in Anoka County. (House File 362)

Rep. Erin Murphy (D-St. Paul) wants to collect more taxes on local deeds and mortgage documents in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties. (House File 1042)

Rep. Joe Atkins (D-Inver Grove Heights) wants to collect more taxes on local deeds and mortgage documents in Dakota County. (House File 1466)

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TAXING ALCOHOL AND COSMETIC SURGERY

The Democrats are trying to raise taxes on alcohol and cosmetic surgery.

Rep. Phyllis Kahn (D-Minneapolis) wants to tax cosmetic surgery. This would be a bad precedent the sales tax, which generally has applied only to goods (except for food, clothing, and a few other exceptions). (House File 1027)

Rep. Michael Paymar (D-St. Paul) wants to pile enormous tax increases on beverages containing alcohol. He would raise taxes on metric sales beverages by the following percentages: distilled spirits (up 228%); wine (up 450%); hard cider (up 800%); regular beer (up 790%); and 3.2% beer (up 457%). (House File 1050) It would collect over $110 million in new taxes.

Rep. Karen Clark (D-Minneapolis) is seeking similar increases in taxes on alcohol, but for other purposes. (House File 1446)

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TAXES ON DOTING FRIENDS AND RELATIVES

Rep. Joe Mullery (D-Minneapolis) wants to put a 10% tax on people who give gifts. If the donor does not pay the tax, then the tax liability shifts to the person who received the gift. In such cases, the donor would still be liable for a $100 penalty for not paying the gift tax. Under the bill, you could be required to show the gift to the Commissioner of Revenue to determine its true worth. (House File 1212)

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TAXES THAT WILL DESTROY JOBS AND CHASE AWAY EMPLOYERS

You have seen the television ads for Pacific Mutual Insurance, with whales swimming through the air, and splashing their tails in the rolling waves.

California decided to cut back on deductions that local companies took for business expenses they incurred in other states. So the whales moved to the cornfields when Pacific Mutual decided to move its headquarters to Nebraska.

A similar fate could await major Minnesota employers if the same types of tax burdens are piled on them by Rep. Joe Mullery (D-Minneapolis). He wants to punish "foreign operating corporations," which are major local employers whose success has allowed them to do business in other states and countries. (House File 943)

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"REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE," WITH TAXES

Rep. Debra Hilstrom (D-Brooklyn Center) wants to raise a tax on cell phones, land-line phones, and other telecommunications devices by 46%. (House File 1464)

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"GIVING" BEGINS AT HOME

Rep. Frank Moe (D-Bemidji) wants to raise local sales and use taxes in Bemidji. (House File 1103)

Rep. Bernie Lieder (D-Crookston) wants to raise local sales and use taxes in Crookston. (House File 1820)

Rep. Will Morgan (D-Burnsville) wants to create special tax increment financing districts in Burnsville. These districts often shift property tax burdens onto current landowners for years. (House File 1054)

Rep. Carolyn Laine (D-Columbia Heights) wants to create a special tax increment financing district in Columbia Heights. (House File 1879)

Rep. Terry Morrow (D-St. Peter) wants a new local sales tax authorized for North Mankato. (House File 108)

Rep. Bill Hilty (D-Finlayson) wants a new local sales tax authorized for Cloquet. (House File 885)

Rep. Mike Jaros (D-Duluth) to raise taxes on food and beverages in Duluth to help to pay for a new hockey arena in that city. (House File 134)

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FEE INCREASES AHEAD

Democrats campaigned against fee increases last fall. But now, they are introducing bills with lots of fees. Some of the tax increases described above are called "fee increases" in part or in whole (phone fees, alcohol fees, health impact fees). Then there are these bills:

Rep. Larry Haws (D-St. Cloud) wants to raise fees for county and regional jails. (House File 161)

Rep. Brita Sailer (D-Park Rapids) wants to raise fees on video and electronic equipment sales. (House File 854)

Rep. Joe Atkins (D-Inver Grove Heights) wants to impose an extra $250 fee on cigarette manufacturers. (House File 1737)

Rep. Erin Murphy (D-St. Paul) wants to raise pharmacy fees automatically on an annual basis. (House File 1722)

Whew! Hope I didn't just ruin your week! Until later,

Mark BuesgensState Representative,
35BOffice (651) 296-5185
Home (952) 492-2992
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