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Here's another email forwarded to me by another loyal reader of LFR. The email was originally sent to Tarryl Clark:
I am writing because it may relieve some of the disappointment and anger I feel at this moment. I have been a resident law abiding taxpayer in Minnesota for almost 60 years. I am now faced with a decision I never thought I would have to consider. Due to a confluence of events brought about by liberal leadership, I now must consider leaving my home.
Five years ago I lost my steady job due economics. At 55, I was unable to replace that income or any of the benefits. Result: our household income has been dramatically reduced even tho I have 3 part time jobs. Since that time we have seen our property tax bill increase more than 300%. We now face an addition to that amount due to a school levy recently passed.
We are also fighting a city government which claims they must assess us for work performed on a county road that accesses our property. This has been paid for by the county but local government needs the money so we are being double taxed for that.
Now in the face of what you like to call a recession, you have opted to further inflate our C O L by your recent override of the Governor's veto on the proposed gas tax and light rail improvement which does NOTHING to help YOUR constituency.
My choice now is to deplete what little is left of our retirement savings to pay property taxes, default on payment of these oppressive taxes, or try to sell our home(which we love) in a horrible market and move out of this state.
I wonder what you and your lawmaker associates would do with this choice? I bet I'll never know!
The DFL thinks that Minnesota's taxpayers are their personal ATM, with cash available anytime they want it. The DFL has become the Lobbyists' Party. They'll do whatever their special interest lobbies tells them to do. A city needs more LGA to postpone making difficult decisions? Done. A transportation lobbyist says we need a few pieces of pork mixed into the biggest tax increase in Minnesota history? Added. A county commissioner doesn't want to include the taxpayer in the tax levy equation? They're excluded.
Someone named Miss Mary left a comment. Normally, I don't put comments into the text of a post but this one deserves special mention. Count her & her husband as angry taxpayers. Here's the text of Miss Mary's comment:
My husband fired off the following email this morning to our august state senator, Ann Rest:
"As a businessman and salesman who has to pay for my gas in the pursuit of generating more revenues for you to tax, I have to ask myself "Is the meager 42 cents on the dollar write-off enough to buy my silence?" Nope. Is the extra 6 cents a gallon with no cap in sight and an open-ended, ever-rising, unchecked tax enough to still buy off my silence? Nope. Right now,with a veto verride ,you and this Legislature have cost me $91 this year. Will I be thinking about you every time I fill up? You bet. Will I support anyone who voted for this abomination and will I tell others every time I gas up? You bet I will work against all of you.I actually thought about bumper stickers. e.g. "Like your new trains? Thanks for the Gas Tax", "Trains & Buses 75%. Drivers 25%. What a deal!" "Taxes on cars? Legislators from Mars." "Gas taxes for trains? A legislature with no brains."
I won't hold my breath for a reply.
I'm guessing that politicians like Ann Rest, Tarryl Clark, Larry Haws & Larry Hosch think that this white hot anger will subside before November's elections. They're probably right in the sense that this intensity won't be sustained at this high level. That said, I'll bet that they won't forget their votes. I'll even bet that this will change votes from D to R. I'll guarantee that this will get people fired up to volunteer on campaigns for people who promise to be the taxpayers' watchdog.
There are a few silver linings to these ominous clouds.
One silver lining is that a taxpayer revolt is taking shape. That revolt, which is fueled by politicians who take raising taxes lightly, will impact this year's elections.
Another silver lining is that GOP activists are telling their representatives what they expect from them. They're withholding endorsements. They aren't tolerating the spin about the greater good & other phoney arguments.
The best silver lining is seeing us deal with the 'Wayward Six'. I'm all for having a big tent. I'm just not for an unprincipled big tent.
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