State Auditor Rebecca Otto has released the 2008 Minnesota City Finances Report, which has some pretty damning evidence of Tim Pawlenty’s financial mismanagement and the impact it has had on our local governments.
Otto’s report shows that over the last 10 years, as state government and federal government have cut aid to cities, a proportional increase in property taxes has followed. “Governor Pawlenty’s no-new-tax mantra, which is a actually a no-new-state-tax mantra, has really impacted Minnesota families,” said Auditor Otto.
Some say that cities need to cut their budgets. The report points out that when adjusted for inflation, city expenditures have decreased by 7 percent between 1999 and 2008.
Otto’s report shows that between 1999 and 2008, actual revenues from property taxes grew by 102 percent, compared to just 10 percent for revenues from intergovernmental sources.
Although this report highlights cities instead of school districts, it seems very timely to me, considering Pawlenty’s efforts to take money from our local governments to pay the state’s bills. Throughout Pawlenty’s entire tenure, he has played a shell game by making the state’s finances look better at the expense of our local governments, then blaming our cities and school districts for raising taxes, a game that continues to this very day.
But, but…republicans are always fiscally responsible. What happened? I am shocked…shocked, I tell you, to learn that Pawlenty, like Bush has completely bungled the economy.
Really. You cant be this stupid. Pawlenty makes no laws and signs no checks. A 30 year plus DFL legislature has caused this issue in MN. Besides, you do realize that this issue is NOT due to a lack of taxes…right? Maybe, just maybe…spending is the issue?
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/lgahist.asp
In my case, my taxes didn’t go thru the roof because tpaw pulled LGA. Go back to 2002 and we never did receive much. Must be something else.
It’s too bad your link doesn’t get to the bottom of what has changed. These high level numbers do mean something, but none of it is definitive or actionable. It is such an inbred system that we have; there are no truths. We all give money to each other in circles and then get pissed off at each other.
I guess I’m not that bothered by this. The money would have come from somewhere. I paid for property taxes, and I would have paid for state LGA. Either way, I pay. I actually like more of the decision and funding power to be at the local level. That way, people can choose what type of community they are willing to live in and pay for.
I’m interested in other reasoned thoughts on this, but to me shifting the tax burden to a more local level isn’t all bad.
Get real. The value of my house years ago was at $100,000. A couple of years ago it was at $280,000 and I had done no major improvements.
Thus under your faulty reasoning because property tax revenues exploded upwards just because of the value of houses that the state is penny pinching because the percentage went up.
Of Otto did a chart that showed dollar amounts I’ll take this seriously. But once again you’re being a brain dead liberal who automatically assumes that government isn’t taxing and spending enough money.
Is 200% tax rate high enough for you?
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
What??? A republican has been raising taxes???
Where’s the outrage, righties? He’s a traitor!!! Off with his head!!! C’mon, teabaggers, let loose!!!
Actually, he kept his word: “No NEW taxes.” And “I won’t raise taxes.” No, the local governments did, albeit indirectly because you starved them of LGA.
No, he didn’t. Forget the word games - This is all on Pawlenty’s back.
He also supported the Hennepin county tax to fund the stadium. No new taxes? Bull.
T-Paw was wrong to make a no new tax pledge. Why, as an elected official, would you take one of the possible tools out of your toolbox? Not saying you have to intend to raise taxes, but don’t handcuff yourself like that.
With that said, the money was going to have to come from somewhere and I have no problem paying higher property taxes in exchange for stable income tax rates.