ASS AWARD Winner- The DFL Party!

Should it be any surprise that voters thought the Democrats who ran as "new fiscal moderates" would do anything but raise our taxes. Time and time again the democrats find new ways to inflate the government and empty our pocket books. If you thought things were bad before, just wait, we are going to see tax increases like never before.

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  Voters Getting Soaked with Tax Proposals by Democrats written by Representative Marty Seifert, House Republican Leader
  When voters went to the polls last year, there certainly was a sense of change in their minds. Many people were upset about congressional scandals, over-spending, frustration with foreign policy and other various issues. There seemed to be a sense, however, that Democrats were campaigning to hold the line as "new fiscal moderates" for the people of Minnesota, whatever vague and attractive meaning that might have held for the voters.
  So November's elections came and went. The voters swept in a large Democrat majority in the legislature, although only by about 4500 votes statewide. However, now the new Democrat-controlled legislature is obsessed with tax increases on you.
  All of the following bills are brought to your courtesy of the new Democrat Majority in the legislature: the $1.2 billion income tax increase; three different bills to jack up your sales taxes; a bill to triple the taxes on hearses; a bill to jump up gas taxes by 50%; another big increase in deed taxes; another bill piles up huge increases on
  alcohol: a 790% increase in beer taxes and 450% increase in wine taxes; there's a proposal to tax gifts and another bill to jack up the taxes on cell phones, land-line phones and other telecommunications devices by 46%; and a bill to impose a 25-cent tax on every incandescent light bulb in the state. There's also bills to increase "fees" on pharmacies, deer hunters, video and electronic equipment sales and more.
  Keep in mind, Minnesota has a surplus that exceeds $2 billion. The average family will get nailed by these Democrats tax increases, on top of squandering the entire surplus. Are they really silly enough to believe that the government should grow much, much faster than the income of ordinary families? Do only the "rich" buy gas, own phones, drink a beer or die? All of these things will be taxed much more.
  Let me be clear: growing government by any other name is just the same.
  I'm not interested in renaming taxes as fees or fees as taxes. This has been done by people of both parties in the past and the voters are smart enough to see through it. The government ought to live within its means like a family or business. Period.
  The $4 billion of tax increases from Democrats could be divided up in many different ways - if you divide it straight up, it would be well over $1,000 per taxpayer in this fiscal period. It goes up more for couples and families as there are only 5 million people that live in this state. Many are on fixed incomes.
  As the new House Republican Leader in the Minnesota House of Representatives, let me assure you that my Republican colleagues and I will fight for the ordinary family and against these gigantic tax increases. The Governor stands with us and we are firm in our belief that the government growth should not outstrip the growth of the family income. We have a surplus and the state government coffers grow daily, due to better jobs, higher incomes, stable employment and fiscal discipline from Governor Pawlenty. There is room to fund education and health care with this money.
  This is not about Democrat versus Republican: it's about common sense fiscal management over big tax increases to pay for special interests demanding more and more of your money. Let me assure you that our focus is on key issues that concern working families: controlling taxes, equitable, fair and accountable education funding and health care reform that makes health care more affordable.
  The Republican members will fight against the Democrat proposals to allow non-citizens to vote, to let 16-year-olds vote, to smother businesses with regulations and to micro-manage people's lives. We will offer legislation that fosters more freedom, less government, more equitably funded and accountable education and lower property taxes.
  If you thought that the Democrats were for the "little guy" or fiscal moderation in the elections last year, I'd suggest you look at all of the proposed tax hikes and silly bills by their membership and then hold them accountable.
  Representative Marty Seifert of Marshall is the Republican Leader in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Since the Republicans are in the minority it looks as if a lot of these tax increases will pass. Our only hope is that there are a few Democrats that say enough is enough. There's a better chance of the Vikings winning the Superbowl this year than that happening.

Hopefully enough constituents will get in touch with there DFL lawmakers and make a push for reduced tax increases. Notice I said reduced increases. I have already conceded that there will not be tax decreases, so our only hope is that the number of increases will not stop me from buying that new pair of shoes for my son.

The democrats as a group deserve the Ass Award!