Not true! There are millions who are able to pay! Surveys by both private and public research organizations have shown pretty consistently over the years that about 85% of the population is willing to pay their "fair share" of the tax burden. The operative phrase of course is "fair share".
The federal government has slashed marginal income tax rates so dramatically in the last three years and into the next seven, that by delaying the Bush tax cuts for two years on only those household incomes in excess of $450,000 annually, we could raise the $87 billion (with a couple billion left over) to pay for George Bush's War On Iraq. But the fact of the matter is this: good government and public agencies that do the people's business cost money. We have slashed and cut to the point that government - the city of Minneapolis is a pretty good example - can no longer do everything its citizens expect it too. For years, Minneapolis had enjoyed a sterling reputation as a city that did an excellent job delivering services that residents wanted/needed from the city. Not extravagantly, but reliably and efficiently. Perfectly? No, but then that is an unreasonable standard. A flourishing private sector in Minneapolis insisted that public agencies provide services to make the city work better and run efficiently. The contract between city, residents, and private sectors worked to everyone's benefit. Anyone who has worked in the public sector quickly comes to understand that public agencies are not like private companies or families and cannot be run as such. The tax cutting madness that mark's the Bush Administration has brutalized larger cities like Minneapolis and small, rural cities in particular. The no tax increase position that the Pawlenty Administration has stupidly embraced has exacerbated the situation and is disintegrating that vital contract between city, residents, and private sector. Now we have people arguing that long valued public facilities like libraries, public transit, and parks are luxuries and that we can't afford them. There is an active debate in some republican circles about whether or not it's time to jettison public schools (they call them "government" schools) because they are too expensive and don't perform as well as private schools. Tragically, the hatchet has become the weapon of choice in addressing public issues rather than the watering can. So, what to do? Just thinking out loud here. The easiest, most painless, and most revenue positive solution might be to create a 13 county metro taxing district that could impose a blinker (blinks on when needed, blinks off when not needed or revenue goals are met)tax on residential real estate to fund metro wide services likes parks and libraries and transit to start with. Use the SIZE of the lot rather than the value of the dwelling that sits on it with exemptions/caps built in for multi-family, residential treatment, and other special use situations. People often live in one community but use services provided in another. No community in the metro is an island and we use the "free" facilities of other communities all the time. A metro wide tax to fund these amenities seems like a fair way to pay for them. We also need to look at a metro emergency services system for police and fire protection. Each suburb maintains its own police force and most have their own fire department as well. Why not metro police and metro fire? Jim Bernstein Fulton -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Victoria Heller Sent: Friday, November 07, 2003 7:11 AM To: Minneapolis Forum Subject: [Mpls] Ms. Hatchet LOVES Fun City, Parks, Libraries But there's one thing missing from the budget debate: PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO PAY! In John Gorder's words......"This town is closer to nothing without them. And we all know that if they go they ain't coming back." (Note that Mr. Gorder was referring to parks, but I'm using his wonderful words to describe taxpayers) Sing a Beach Boys tune today with these words: ".......and they'll have fun, fun, fun 'til spending drives the people away." Ms. Hatchet (Vicky Heller) North Oaks REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
