This discussion on referendra and the sales tax makes the governor and other Republicans who support a stadium without allowing a referendra look particularly hypocritical in light of their "turbo tax" proposal.
The "turbo tax" proposal would issue postcards to each property on the tax rolls in a jurisdiction and if 20% of those postcards came back expressing dissatsifaction with their level of taxation in the event of a proposed increase, the increase would automatically go to a referendra. What's even more disturbing is this is true even if 20% of the postcards are from the same corporate entity and even if that corporate entity is foreign owned. So much for local control!!! Of course the postcard survey has force of law but doesn't say what should occur if spouses who own a home together disagree about the tax. There is no instruction on what individual at a property has the right to take this action which will have the force of law. Democratic rights should be reserved for people not property. I watched some of our good Minneapolis reps on the House tax committee the other day working hard both speaking out against this policy and simultaneously amending it to make it less egregious on the chance it should survive conference commitee. This amending process was referred to by one legislator as "putting lipstick on a pig". This proposed devolution back towards the feudalisam and colonialism is a rather shocking proposal but antitax ideologues don't seem to care. David Strand Loring Park > Money drives referendums, plain and simple. Suppose > public > transportation funding was put up for a vote. The > MN Chamber > would have no problem pouring millions of dollars > into a > campaign to stop a sales tax increase, all the way > misleading > people about how they'd lose their jobs if it went > through. > > There's also the question of timing. We need public > transportation > funding TODAY. We cannot wait until 2007. Cuts are > already planned. > > Would you require a referendum for a sales tax > dedicated to > public transportation? > > > I don't understand your comment about slipping it > in the back door. What > > are you talking about? > > I'm talking about using referendum on a variety of > issues rather > than just setting down a general policy. Why do > local sales taxes > go to referendum but not property taxes? Why not > state sales > taxes? Why should some issues have a referendum and > not others? > How do we decide what goes to referendum and what > doesn't? > > As we've seen, a statutory requirement for > referendum can be > easily bypassed at the legislature. If we really > think I&R > is a good idea, let's write it into the constitution > and answer > all these questions definitively. > > I think it would be a tremendous mistake to do so. > > David Greene > The Wedge > REMINDERS: > 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at > http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a > member is in violation, contact 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 > === message truncated === Yahoo! Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour: http://tour.mail.yahoo.com/mailtour.html REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
