Residual Forces

Municipal Welfare is alive and well in Minnesota. The State Legislature is rolling out the state taxpayer ATM to send $90 million to cities.

State aid to cities would increase by $90 million under legislation that has garnered support from large and small communities as a way to reduce the local property tax burden on homeowners and businesses.

The tax and spend liberals have cleverly cloaked the practice of municipal welfare under the term “property tax relief”. It is a lie and a scam. The reason property taxes are so high and on teh rise, is that your County and City are spending like drunken sailors.

When the state buys down the property taxes through municipal welfare with state taxpayer’s hard earned money it doesn’t solve the problem of the local city or county living with it its revenue means. Not all cities anc counties can afford to have taj mahalls and museums that serve a dual purpose as a government building.

Binge spending is causing Americans to live on credit. Like our government, we’ve been living on credit, and by the monthly payment. Sooner or later we’ll be forced to come to the rude awakening that money doesn’t grow on trees and we’re not going to win the lottery. In the end we will have to pay the price or the penalties.

City, County, and State spending is out of control. They are spending  like mad, and most city officials I have heard from blame high property taxes on state revenue. That’s a cowardly cop out. I heard Fridley’s mayor whining yesterday about ‘getting $2 million less’. Less than what? When money was flowing out of St. Paul as fast as could be?

Yeah, those were great times. Cities used all that money for all sorts of nifty pet projects and “wish list” items. Few used that money responsibly, and just about every City Manager out there based their budgets out of the State taxpayer gift check.

The problem with Property taxes is city and county spending. School levies and referendums do add up and raise your taxes. City and County appraisers made dang sure to adjust your taxable value while the market was riding high so as to increase property tax revenue as much as possible.

Well, the economy is going into the tank. People are having trouble paying their normal bills, let alone the ones the government is trying to send them. A massive energy tax increase just passed. The State took the restraints off XCEL Energy with their rate increases/ Your car tabs will now be more expensive. That gas you put in it will cost more and if Pawlenty gets his 20% ethanol demand you’re going to need more of it to go as far as you can today on a gallon.

Then, let’s not forget that we’re facing Sales Tax increases as a possibility to absorb too. So everything will now be much more expensive. And all for the good of transit: which means not roads and bridges.

Minnesotans are taxed enough. Where the revenue comes from doesn’t matter one iota to us. It all comes from us.

If politicians really want to do anything about the high property taxes, they need to do something about the spending.

Its the spending stupid! Its your spending. Live with in your means. If you can’t handle the job of accountability, then get out of the way.