[Winona Online Democracy] I'm going to reply to Scott Lowery's great questions.
No, I'm not willing to reduce our committments and investments in public programs. And yes, that means TAXES. In the past, I've included other stats about how Minnesota ranks first or near the top in job growth, family incomes, test scores, quality of life, overall health of people, etc.. (I can try to dig those stats up in case anyone wants to see the numbers again.) But here are some other stats that come from the December 17, 2004 edition of the Star Tribune, Metro Section, page 1. ------ There is a chart called, "Some Minnesota Strengths." ------ High School Grads Over 25 Minnesota Average: 92.2% National Average: 84.1% Teen High School Drop Out Minnesota Average: 5.0% National Average: 9.3% People Living in Poverty Minnesota Average: 6.5% National Average: 12.1% No Medical Insurance Minnesota Average: 7.9% National Average: 15.2% Home Ownership Minnesota Average: 77.3% National Average: 67.9% Median Family Income Minnesota Average: $54,622 National Average: $42,409 Teen Birth Rates Minnesota Average: 14.4 per 1,000 girls age 15-17 National Average: 24.5 per 1,000 girls age 15-17 Violent Crimes Minnesota Average: 268 per 100,000 residents National Average: 495 per 100,000 residents ------ I'd love to save the costs (and pain) of sending myself and my family to the dentist but I know if I don't, I'll pay more in the long run. Said another way, I'd love to save the money of an oil change every 3 months but I know if I don't, I'll pay more in the long run. Are people willing to stop investing in our public programs? To me, a fiscal conservative would invest the smaller amount of money now for the larger returns later. That leads to another question, "what kinds of taxes are the most fair and effective?" Or do people think Minnesota's great job creation, family income, health, and education numbers are a mere coincidence and have nothing to do with our investments in public and private programs? Lastly, can anyone in the media explain to me just who or what this mythical "Taxpayers League" is? Dwayne Voegeli January 2, 2005 ------ >Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2005 11:22:53 -0600 >To: [email protected] >From: Scott Lowery <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [Winona] Re: no new taxes / libraries > >[Winona Online Democracy] > > >So here's my question for everyone on this New Year's Day: are we as a >culture/society (1) willingly and consciously going down the path of >reducing public services (as well as scaling back our collective sense of >responsibility for meeting human needs), or are we (2) being led down that >path by disingenuous public leadership and by our collective unwillingness >to look beyond the immediate gratification of reduced taxes? > >Scott Lowery > ------------ Dwayne Voegeli Winona County Commissioner (507) 453-9012 [EMAIL PROTECTED] 359 Pleasant Hill Dr. Winona, MN 55987 ------------ _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
