“I am not going along with this foolishness. If you have to get rid of me, fire me,” said Rep. Ron Erhardt, R-Edina, who was removed as the lead Republican as the Property Tax Relief & Local Sales Taxes Committee. “This is the way we get treated if we vote our districts and vote our consciences and vote our feeling that we are doing the right thing for the state.”
Ron Erhardt of Edina
“The message they are sending to me is that ‘We don’t want any independent minded people,’” Heidgerken said. “I’ll always stand up for what’s right. If that means my election than I don’t deserve to be here.”
Bud Heidgerken of Freeport
Its really no surprise that moderates like Jim Hovland and Arnie Carlson are leaving the Republican Party.
Even if people are upset about the tax hikes, I would hope there would be a lot of rancor about this development. I recognize that a political caucus needs some unity, but to establish fairly draconian consequences for exercising personal choice or values seems self-defeating. If nothing else, this stands to drive some of the best and brightest minds from making a run at politics within the Republican party, to say nothing of what it does to people’s faith in a democratic system.
But I did enjoy Pawlenty’s grandstanding on the subject yesterday. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride”? Anyone want to lay odds on how much actually gets done this session?
Actually I think people might get involved in politics. For once, our political representatives did something because it was good for the state and good for the people not just good for Governor Pawlenty’s chance of becoming a VP candidate.
What the chances that there is a serious revolt and Siefert gets taken down from his leadership position?
It’s not moderate to pass the largest tax increase in the state’s history. It’s not moderate to pass an 8.5 cent gas tax increase, draconian license tab hikes, wheelage and new car taxes, and a metro wide sales tax. All of these taxes hurt the middle class and, as you people like to put it, the working poor.
If the bill had been a nickel gas tax only, we would not be seeing this kind of outrage on the GOP side. This bill is a boondoggle and it will cost Minnesota families dearly.
DFL Campaign Message: I supported this bipartisan bill because our infrastructure has been neglected for too long and I want to make sure whe don’t have any more bridge collapses.
Republican Campaign Message: You will accept our positions or you will be purged from the party. We are right. Everyone else is wrong. Resistance is futile.
Dan,
Who neglected our infrastructure for so long? The answer is the DFL. You people controlled the Senate for the last 30 years and the House for 20 of the last 30 years. Your party chose not to build roads and bridges in favor of transit and light rail and when you did build roads they were in Perpich’s beloved Iron Range where nobody drives by comparison. Nice try though.
That’s good stuff. In case you hadn’t noticed, Pawlenty’s veto of the DFL transportation bill was sustained by Republicans the last couple of times. It took the deaths of 13 people for at least some Republicans to acknowledge the problem. There hasn’t been a DFL governor in this state since 1990.
In any event, I am not the least bit concerned about the electoral consequences of this bipartisan, Chamber of Commerce supported bill.
Geez, even the PioneerPress supported the bill. Seriously, if you think that this bill is going to be a problem, you need to get out more.
P.S. Choo Choo !!!!
Alright, as point of fact, while yes, the bridge collapse did bring attention to the state’s infrastructure problem, the collapse was most likely not the result of inattention to bridge maintenance. Signs thus far have pointed to a design flaw that would not be noticed in routine maintenance, as bridge inspectors generally assume the bridge they’re inspecting was designed soundly to begin with. Bizarre assumption, I know, but there it is. It’s disingenuous to make claims otherwise, at least until the investigation is complete and the transportation safety folks tell us “yo’ bridge done rusted, foo’!”
That said, the rabid anti-tax legislators can complain about the level of taxation in the state all they want, but you can make many correlations between the level of taxation and overall quality of life. MN places very highly in surveys of healthcare, quality of life, places to live, etc.etc.etc. And the elements that place us so highly need to be paid for somehow.
To put it another way, Arkansas has a pretty low tax rate. But I’d sooner saw my arm off with the jagged edge of a severed G.I. Joe leg than live there.
Point taken, Rich G.
But where does the money go? Is it a Democratic victory to simply secure funding? Or should the job not be considered complete until there is proof that this money is improving roads, not just making another bureau’s budget larger?
True, having adequate taxes generally equate to some better quality of life indicators (not across the board, however). But where is the outrage that we have been in the Top 8 tax burdens nationwide for decades, and we don’t even have enough money to keep up our roads?
Where does all the money go?
I’d love a special session focused on “state government measures, efficiency, and accountability”. Examine each department in detail, not just debate for a big pot of money and then consider the job to be done.
I would just add that I moved to Minnesota by choice. I like it here. And when I chose to move here, I knew that taxes were not low.
However, that doesn’t mean I like wasting money, or throwing good money after bad. I’d love to know if it is all being spent effectively, and I can’t even begin to find that answer.
The gas tax increase to pay for roads and bridges was long over-due and in my opinion could have been higher or indexed and the only real gripes would have been from the far right. Even the increases in license and wheelage fees might not have caused much of a stir. All are a type of user fee where those that are sining the increases are the ones receiving the service. The sales tax for transit makes as much sense as increasing the social security tax to pay for the war in Iraq.
The sales tax for transit isn’t about transit it is about hiding the costs of a project that only benefits a few people. Otherwise those who support it would use the same logic applied to the gas tax increase and just raise the fares of buses and trains. Since transit does not provide the benefit commensurate with it’s costs supporters have to find dishonest funding methods and have them tag along on otherwise good legislation.
Light rail is a disaster. Every number says so. The cost per passenger mile, the fact that it is much more dangerous than Minnesota roads, the hand outs given to wealthy developers to build around the lines,the decrease in efficiency of the roads that intersect the line and no measurable reduction in freeway congestion. It performs especially poorly when compared to different configurations of buses. Supporters have no reason other than an aesthetic one in their rationale. The like it because they like it, nothing more. If they had anything else maybe they would try a method of reasoning other than “choo choo”
And because they couldn’t figure out an honest way to pay for their toy they instead found a funding source that proves what hypocrites they are. A sales tax that is counter to every claim they have made on how they are concerned with the the income gap and how it is hard for working folk to get by these days.
p.s. The bill was less bipartisan than the Iraq war vote or the patriot act so I will assume all of you who think that is a valid point here were all for those as well.
DantheMan, what the hell happened to the Republican party? It used to be full of moderate (or at least reasonable) people like you.
Dan - I wish I knew.
I can’t identify with right-wingers. But I also know I’m no liberal Democrat.
The time is right for a Arne Carlson-esque third party.