Letter: Now is not the time for more tax-and-spend policies

• Hamilton

DON DAVIs/STATE CAPITOL BUREAU Rep. Rod Hamilton of Mountain Lake watches as Dan Greensweig says that Minnesota cities have concerns a Hamilton bill could increase governmental liability if youth athletes receive brain injuries during organized sports. Hamilton said the bill should ease legal liability.

Talk about it

On Wednesday, Gov. Mark Dayton delivered his annual State of the State address on the floor of the Minnesota House of Representatives. The governor used a good share of his time to try and convince the public about his budget proposal.

I’m trying to keep an open mind about the governor’s budget plan, but my initial concern is that more than two thirds of his proposed tax increases would make the greatest impact on those who are not wealthy.

Gov. Dayton wants to increase state spending by $2.5 billion and increase taxes by $3.7 billion to fund an expanded government.

Regarding the tax increases, $1.1 billion would be raised through higher income taxes on married couples making more than $250,000 a year and individuals making $150,000. A total of $370 million would be collected by raising the cigarette tax by nearly $1 per pack, and $2.1 billion would be raised through new sales taxes on goods and services throughout the state.

If the governor’s plan becomes law, you would be forced to pay sales tax on certain clothing purchases, car repairs, over the counter medications, Internet purchases and haircuts, to name a few. There are dozens of goods and services that are not being taxed now that would be under the Dayton plan.

Minnesota is on the path toward economic success. We’ve had nothing but positive economic forecasts for the past year. Now is not the time to radically increase government spending and force every hardworking Minnesotan to pay more in taxes.

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