All Hail The King!

The DFL on Monday voted for an epic tax hike (disguised, per usual, as negotiation) in the middle of an epic recession/depression.

The answer – the real answer, anyway – is to toss every single DFLer responsible for this vote out this November.

My friend and longtime radio colleague King Banaian is trying to do just that up in House District 15B in Saint Cloud, against Larry “Haw” Haws.   King responds to his opponent’s vote for the tax hike (emphasis added):

“Last night my opponent voted to increase taxes on small businesses and what he considers wealthy Minnesotans,” Banaian said. “The last Economic Update from the Finance Department cited consumer confidence and sentiment being ‘mired’ at low levels and ‘lingering employment concerns, slow wage growth, and tight credit are likely to inhibit household spending until 2011.’ Even if you believe Minnesotans don’t pay enough, this is a terrible time to raise taxes.”

“But we do pay enough. The DFL bill that Rep. Haws voted for would give Minnesota the 4th highest marginal tax rate in the country on incomes of $200,000. Higher rates in California have done nothing to cure their budget problems. Why does Larry Haws think this is a good example to emulate?”

“The answer to every DFL problem is to look at small businesses as an ATM from which they can cover their need for more money. They have enough; the real need in Minnesota is to reduce spending, not raise taxes. Rep. Haws had the opportunity to balance the budget by ratifying Governor Pawlenty’s spending reductions but voted against that. When I get to St. Paul, we will set priorities that do not ask already-generous Minnesotans for more,” Banaian concluded.

Or as another conservative candidate might say, we need to stick the budget in a vise and “drill baby, drill”‘.

I’ll await word from the Strib on exactly how King’s position is “extreme”.

(Via Gary @ LFR)

21 thoughts on “All Hail The King!

  1. “The answer – the real answer, anyway – is to toss every single DFLer responsible for this vote out this November.”

    and some DFLer’s who voted against the tax hike.

    “She [Terri Bonoff] says most high-wage earners in her district might stomach higher taxes — just not higher income taxes.”

    You’re dead wrong Terri.

  2. I guess one percent of the population getting a one percent tax increase is epic.

    So if the DFL is kicked out and the GOP decides to balance the budget without increasing revenue, where are they going to cut? Health? Education? Police? Maybe their government staffs?

    Our problems are not going to be solved until both sides are willing to compromise and do what’s right for the community and not for their political careers.

  3. Some suggestions for cuts:

    1. Central Corridor light rail, saving $500 million.

    2. No stadium for the Queens, savings $500 million.

    3. Refuse please for MOA subsidies, savings $200 million.

    4. Actually tell road workers to fill potholes while on the clock.

    5. Pay cuts for all state workers–say the 3-5% that the rest of us have endured on average. Savings another $500 million.

    6. End remedial classes at four year state funded colleges–saving about $300 million each year. (and flattening the Gopher football and basketball programs, most likely)

  4. Then again, it’s doubtful that our problems will every really be solved. So that being the case I guess there’s really no strategic advantage to compromise anyway.

  5. That boy’s right… our budget is as tight as a drum. Ain’t nothing we can cut out of it without making the ghost of Wellstone! cry.

  6. You are close to being right, Apathyboy. Compromise is not a good in and of itself.

  7. I guess one percent of the population getting a one percent tax increase is epic.

    Why not 2, 3 or 15% patheticboy? Where do YOU draw a line?

    As far as cuts – why yes, why not Education? Why not government services – and staffs and pensions and benefits, and yes, their salaries! Why should government workers earn more and have better benefits then people in the private sector? Government workers do not create wealth – not a single penny. Essential services are of course excluded.

  8. A) I could live with a small temporary tax increase (if there is such a thing as a temporary tax increase) if it applied to everyone.

    B) But remember what happen to Bush 41 when he compromised with the Democrats on taxes. They used it against him.

  9. With regards to what tax % is acceptable or not, one does not “draw a line” per se. One simply realizes that as the supply curve goes up (due to higher taxes), there is less demand for labor in the state.

    Not a complicated thing, really….

  10. “Why not 2, 3 or 15% patheticboy? Where do YOU draw a line?”

    4.3%, varying slightly for each tax bracket.

    “But remember what happen to Bush 41 when he compromised with the Democrats on taxes.”

    He mistake wasn’t compromising. His mistake was making a promise he couldn’t deliver. Pawlenty’s mistake was delivering a promise he shouldn’t have made.

  11. apathyboy said:

    “So if the DFL is kicked out and the GOP decides to balance the budget without increasing revenue, where are they going to cut? Health? Education? Police? Maybe their government staffs?”

    Wow. You stumbled upon the answer, but your heart’s not in it. To SEE where you can cut, you actually have to LOOK, apathyboy. I have no doubt that you think “Health” and “Education” are untouchable, but that is only because you (and to be fair, most people) have even bothered to consider that we aren’t getting much bang for buck in the state budget.

  12. Pawlenty’s mistake

    …wasn’t.

    It helped keep MN’s economy in better shape that most of the country’s, it potentially sets us up to prosper nicely from whatever prosperity the Obama Administration doesn’t extinct, and it helped prevent Minnesota from becoming a cold California, financially speaking – a status that is in fact the DFL’s sole goal.

    You can not tax your way out of insolvency (without destroying your economy).

  13. It’s perl/sed substitution stuff. It may be Scottish, so it might not be crap.

    On Pawlenty, he’s done a lot more to keep state budgets low than ‘just say no’ to taxes. He and his commissioners have consistently focused on the consolidation of operations and efficiency on both state and department levels. He also has an itchy trigger finger on the ‘hiring freeze’ gun (sometimes painful, but much less so than the ‘pink slip’ gun), which makes it necessary to ‘road test’ whether some tasks can be accomplished by few people.

    He has saved the state a lot of money. We could do a lot worse.

  14. It’s perl/sed substitution stuff

    Also the old UNIX command-line substitution command.

  15. How about slashing the Welfare payrolls to people who are actually disabled or single mommies I’d bet we can balance the budget

  16. Ug! I’m glad I have not seen it. I can only imagine what kind of havoc I may have cause with it.

  17. “Pawlenty’s mistake… …wasn’t.”

    I meant that more strategically than economically. Economically, we would all be better off if Pawlenty (and Kelliher) were willing to roll up their sleves and work together instead of worrying about running for President/Governor.

    Strategically he painted himself into a corner. He needed to be strong on taxes for the less moderate conservatives. He got the “stick to my guns” feather in the cap he needs for the primaries, but the budget shortfall and his lack of compromise will be used against him in the general election.

    I call it a “mistake,” but ultimately it was the right move for him to make. Pawlenty is a lot smarter than Bush 41. He knows the risk he’s taking the reward ratio involved.

  18. “How about slashing the Welfare payrolls to people who are actually disabled or single mommies”

    I think that’s a good idea. Unfortunately the safeguards put place to make sure that absolutely no one is gaming the system (not to mention the protections to make sure that eveyrone who deserves welfare is receiving it to its full potential) would end up costing taxpayers far more than it would save.

  19. 4.3%, varying slightly for each tax bracket

    And start collecting it from the 47% of people who currently do not pay it? Now you are talking!

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