Joe Doakes, from Saint Paul’s Como neighborhood, has been looking into Saint Paul’s new proposed budget.
And he emails:
In this time of economic trouble, when families are tightening their belts and doing with less, it’s refreshing to see that at least some of our loyal public servants know where their priorities lie . . . in their own pockets.
I’m depressingly un-surprised.
Proposed property tax statements are available on-line from the County’s website. [Joe looked at] samples from the Como-Northdale area; Newell Park; and University Ave area (Charles and Simpson).
Values dropped in all samples.
Taxes rose in all samples.
They’re happy to make you pay for A Better Minnesota, even if your little corner of Minnesota is just plain worse.
The County and City mostly held the line (not really, since the City intentionally adopted a Blackmail Budget which assumes fully funded LGA that won’t happen – the City’s tax increases will come later).
Bingo. It’s one of those DFL patterns of behavior that is very, very close to becoming another Berg’s Law; DFL city governments will always use the city budget in such a way as to exert pressure for DFL priorities.
“Vote DFL so that the state gives us more money, or we’ll pass the taxes directly on to you.”
The school district, though, saw fit to raise the levy. And not just a bit, like 5% across the board.
I didn’t get a 5% raise this year, did you?
Pffft.
And the things that really galls me about the increased levy and I mean really galls me is that the money is being used to pay retiree benefits. There is not even a pretense that the money is “for the kids”. Nope just for the gold plated retiree benefits. Nice work SPPS.
5% raise? I (and everyone else in the company) took a 5% cut last year and was glad it wasn’t worse. NO bonus, either.
Got news for ya. It’s not just St. Paul. We got the same whammy in our tax statement here in the beautiful, DFL-controlled NW burbs.
It’s times like these that make the four blocks between my house and Saint Paul look like the golden fields of heaven.
Making that move was clearly one of the best things I’ve ever done for my family.
Our property taxes went down in our non dfl nw burb.
The taxes actually went down, nominally, but the kick came from a special assessment by the county for unpaid bills at HCMC. Evidently, we’re on the hook in our tax statement for that. Reagan’s admonition comes to mind: If it moves, tax it. It it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it.
The amazing part is there are those that vote these cretins into office, then bitch and complain when they keep doing what they’ve always done.
Chris Coleman doesn’t let an empty bank account get in the way of his spending sprees.
I get e-mail from the his office at least once a week announcing that the city has received money from one federal source or another to fund some goofball project.
The thing is that most of these “gifts” come with strings attached and require the city to toss in some money of it’s own.
There is no economic quagmire deep enough to stop a dedicated Democrat from digging it deeper.
Look, Swiftee, if you are a racist who hates minorities and teh gays, just say so. There is no need to use code words like “Chris Coleman doesn’t let an empty bank account get in the way of his spending sprees.” and “There is no economic quagmire deep enough to stop a dedicated Democrat from digging it deeper.”
Yup!
Over here in Hennepin County, same story. The DFL controlled Bloomington leadership tossed in their increase, as did the school board. I suspect that the council chambers will be overflowing again at the hearing.
Then, in the city’s propaganda piece, they tell us what a value we’re getting for our tax money! Freaking liberals!