Pawlenty: Time to slash business taxes and keep other taxes the...

I know, he should pass tax increases across the board. Tax penalties even more punitive on businesses that want to operate in MN. Maybe we can have some more personal tax increases too.(That 6.6 billion increase in transportation tax that passed last year via a Veto override really spurred the economy!) This is what has worked so well in Michigan. I mean, these corporate American giants like Ford, GM, and Chrysler have bottomless pockets for every whim of a Left-wing Stahlinist (sic). It won't affect anything in a negative manner, but rather, have a positive effect on the community for the Gov't to re-distribute the fruits of their labor and industriousness. C'mon gang, lets chase industry out of the State and get on down to the welfare office for a check from your friendly, helpful gov't worker for doing nothing! We can end envy by being equally poor and miserable!

Minnesota has NEVER cut taxes,they simply make them up in fees or pass responsibility to other government arms, and anyone expecting restraint from the legislature is whistling in the dark.T Paw is very good at bluster but you can bet the hand holding left will beat a path to the media door with stories of gloom and doom, death and destruction and puppies jumping off cliffs. Note to taxpayers... Don't bend over for that soap.

I simply do not understand why most of the GOP members do not get it. The people have to be working to make money to boost the econ. Tax cuts to the guys who have failed already is not the path to stumble on anymore.

Pawlenty is wrong again wrote:

I simply do not understand why most of the GOP members do not get it. The people have to be working to make money to boost the econ. Tax cuts to the guys who have failed already is not the path to stumble on anymore.

Yeah. I guess we should raise their taxes, right? morons

It seems to me this has been tried before. You give the companies the tax breaks, and they in turn give all the execs bonuses, and outsource more jobs.
Trickle down doesn't work! Never has, never will.

If business is paying less, and everyone else paying the same, that means less revenue for the state. With costs going up on basically everything, how does that help?

It is really sad that every time the state is in trouble, broke, or just needs to save money the first thing they do, the FIRST thing they always do is freeze the wages of all state workers. How unfair is that.......so you work for the state and becuz of bad governemnt, money management, inflation, what have you...the state worker is the first one who gets penalized for it and it is just not fair....and the freeze is for 2 years....could YOU survive in today's economic world without any kind of pay increase for 2 years?....I doubt it, most of us are having trouble surviving today on what we make but to stand pat for 2 years while everything around us continues to go up is unrealistic and also a slap in the face to all state employees...

Also folks, I want to clean up a myth that seems to be prevelant with a lot of people....State workers do NOT make a lot of money. Most employees have worked their whole lives for the state, 20, 30 and more plus years and their wages are somewhat comaprable to those in the private sector but that is about it...unless you are Commissioner, Govenernor or a state paid hooker you make an average wage and nothing better so I want to disgard that myth right here and now.

Beleive it or not, I am NOT a state employee but my wife is and it just isn't fair...health care rose again this year but their wages did not so what are we supposed to do?...no one cares, especailly TPAW, what a joke....and we , as hard working citizens of Minnesota and the good ol USA just keep sinking deeper and deeper into debt....

--Pawlenty said the state's condition is the "worst we've seen in a long, long time." -- Well, you've been governor for six years. Want to take any responsibility for that? Why did you veto the Middle Class Property Tax Relief bill 2 years ago? Could it have been because it would have required all your rich friends to pay their fare share of income tax? Methinks so.

T DeMoore wrote:

Trickle down doesn't work! Never has, never will.

JOBS are trickle-down economics. It has pretty much worked all through history that you get jobs from wealthy people, not poor ones.

Danny Boy wrote:

It is really sad that every time the state is in trouble, broke, or just needs to save money the first thing they do, the FIRST thing they always do is freeze the wages of all state workers. How unfair is that.......so you work for the state and becuz of bad governemnt, money management, inflation, what have you...the state worker is the first one who gets penalized for it and it is just not fair....and the freeze is for 2 years....could YOU survive in today's economic world without any kind of pay increase for 2 years?....I doubt it, most of us are having trouble surviving today on what we make but to stand pat for 2 years while everything around us continues to go up is unrealistic and also a slap in the face to all state employees...
Also folks, I want to clean up a myth that seems to be prevelant with a lot of people....State workers do NOT make a lot of money. Most employees have worked their whole lives for the state, 20, 30 and more plus years and their wages are somewhat comaprable to those in the private sector but that is about it...unless you are Commissioner, Govenernor or a state paid hooker you make an average wage and nothing better so I want to disgard that myth right here and now.
Beleive it or not, I am NOT a state employee but my wife is and it just isn't fair...health care rose again this year but their wages did not so what are we supposed to do?...no one cares, especailly TPAW, what a joke....and we , as hard working citizens of Minnesota and the good ol USA just keep sinking deeper and deeper into debt....

I couldn't agree with you more. And I'm not a state employee either. The Republican tactic ever since Reagan is to divide and conquer. Make one part of the country hate the other part while the top 5% reaps the benefits. There has to be a scapegoat and for as long as I can remember it's been the government worker. And if the union guys get a pension (I'm not a union guy either) then the right wingers make sure that rest of us are jealous enough to try and take it away from them. That goes for any type of benefit or minimum wage. It's the same ugly crap over and over again.

Want to cut state spending? How about cutting wages bonuses and per-diem to the elected officials.

Why should they get $96/day for food? That is more than my FAMILY gets to spend in a week.

What do they get for travel expenses? That can be cut as well.

Mr. Pawlenty, show us you mean business, take a pay cut!

Danny Boy, maybe your wife can use her paid day off for MLK day to look for better work in the private sector. Those of us already in the private sector will actually be at work that day, as we are for many paid state holidays.

Ack wrote:

Danny Boy, maybe your wife can use her paid day off for MLK day to look for better work in the private sector. Those of us already in the private sector will actually be at work that day, as we are for many paid state holidays.

you kind of, well not kind of, you compleltey missed the whole point of what I was trying to point out. Actually I know you didn't miss the point, I guess you were trying to be cute and funny...huh..yea, good one......

Let me ask you a question....have you ever been given a bonus by your boss for a job well done? or for company performance?...no state worker ever has and never will....there are pros and cons to every job, to every employer, just that some are better than others is all....

Ultimately, government has to balance the budget the same way we do( that is for those of us that balance our budgets). They have to reduce spending when their income is reduced.
It's only complicated if you don't want to face this reality. Money can be printed and spent by the government in the short term to stimulate the economy, but in the end, SPENDING has to be reduced to a level equal to INCOME.
It isn't about fairness, it's about reality.

Look at this guy...how stupid he still is...
1) What have been doing for the last 8 years...with Bush at the helm and Pawlenty at the in Minnesota...We have been cutting taxes for the businesses..
2) We did that so the businesses will carry us through if the event of a meltdown..
3) Have the businesses done that? NO..they are still asking for handouts and this man is willing to give it to them...
What is he expecting? Businesses are not going to put a dime into their business..they are going to keep the tax cuts for themselves..
Come of Pawlenty...Grow up and see for yourself...you are making the same mistakes again...

More and more of the same. This is a method that has been tried over and over again for years now and seeing how booming our economy is right now it must work well!!

In theory this is a nice idea but what has happened in practice is the people who get the tax breaks hoard the cash afterwards for personal gain verses creating jobs or the "Good of the Country". Over the past half decade or so the same tax policies have been in place across the country while employment decreased. It was a good idea that didn't work, lets stop using it and think of something new.

In my opinion, a more effective way to get the tax breaks to work for the economy is by giving them to people that can't afford to not use the extra cash. You give it to the poor and they will in turn spend it at retailers. Therefore creating more demand. Now I am not an expert but creating more demand would mean more supply is needed therefore more jobs to create that supply.

My point here is that when something doesn't work try a new solution, and maybe that new idea is working the other end of the economic food chain.

Handlebar wrote:

<quoted text>
I couldn't agree with you more. And I'm not a state employee either. The Republican tactic ever since Reagan is to divide and conquer. Make one part of the country hate the other part while the top 5% reaps the benefits. There has to be a scapegoat and for as long as I can remember it's been the government worker. And if the union guys get a pension (I'm not a union guy either) then the right wingers make sure that rest of us are jealous enough to try and take it away from them. That goes for any type of benefit or minimum wage. It's the same ugly crap over and over again.

The top 5% reap the benefits.... Of what, taking a risk and being successful?

Well Ack:

If you are in the private industry ARE YOU NOT BEGGING FOR MONEY...MY TAX DOLLARS...to run you OWN business... Now you are the private sector WHICH GOT ALL THE TAX BREAKS FOR 8 YEARS AND WHICH CANNOT HELP PROP UP THE COUNTRY? IS THAT NOT THE REASON YOU RECEIVED THE TAX BREAKS? TO BE CREATING JOBS (OR AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT YOU CLAIMED???)YOU PRIVATE COMPANIES MAKE ME SICK...BEGGING FOR MY TAX DOLLARS..WHY NOT GO DESTITUTE LIKE SO MANY WHO WORKED FOR THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY?..AND YOU HAVE THE GALL TO CRITICIZE THE STATE WORKERS WHO HAVE TO PUT WITH LESS WAGES AND CONSTANTLY BE SCRUTINIZED BY HYPOCRITES LIKE YOU..PLEASE GROW UP AND STOP BEING SELFISH. TRY THIS..WHEN YOU POINT A FINGER AT SOMEONE 3 FINGERS POINT RIGHT BACK AT YOU. THE COUNTRY IS IN THIS MESS BECAUSE OF ALL THE TAX BREAKS YOU PRIVATES GOT AND ARE HIDING NOW NOT CREATING JOBS....GO AND FIND A JOB WITH THE STATE (i.e., if you educated enough..most likely you are a 12TH grade dropout like JOE THE PLUMBER) AND DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE STATE AND ITS PEOPLE.

Ack...

you do not have the tack or the knack..if you are wealthy why are you asking for my TAX DOLLARS...

"It has pretty much worked all through history that you get jobs from wealthy people, not poor ones".

COME ON RICH ACK (ASS??), HELP US OUT WITHOUT BEGGING FOR STATE TAX CUTS OR FEDERAL BAIL OUT MONEY..BE A MAN..SHOW US WHAT YOU CAN DO...

AND I AM SURE YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN..WHO KNOWS ONE THING..NO TAXING BUT HIGH SPENDING ...UNLIKE DEMOCRATS..TAX AND SPEND....

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE PORN INDUSTRY WANTS A BAIL OUT TOO? Maybe you'll be an advocate for that industry as well because you cannot get your jollies if they fold...

Pawlenty is wrong again wrote:

I simply do not understand why most of the GOP members do not get it. The people have to be working to make money to boost the econ. Tax cuts to the guys who have failed already is not the path to stumble on anymore.

So we should just pass taxes? You are really naive about business. If it just do business and NOT have to pay into every thing this legislature wants from business it would be easy to stay in business. Our taxes are enormous and higher than surrounding states. This is NOT a business friendly state. Tax cuts give the people that create jobs the ability to do just that. You get a rebate and do what? Spend it and when it's gone, like Obama's massive stimulus plan, it is just another addition to the massive deficit. Let us create jobs and we will. Right now we are NOT doing anymore businesses in MN for the high taxes etc. And with the displaced employee pool evaporating it will be just a few minutes into this legislature to add a special "surtax" on employers to pay MORE into this system as well as increase in unemployment insurance. We can't do it all. And gov't does NOT make money it only spends it. We don't create jobs, you don't get income. And when there is no income what does the state do next? Raise taxes some more? How dumb. You cannot keep digging a hole to get out.

bhagyam wrote:

Well Ack:
If you are in the private industry ARE YOU NOT BEGGING FOR MONEY...MY TAX DOLLARS...to run you OWN business... Now you are the private sector WHICH GOT ALL THE TAX BREAKS FOR 8 YEARS AND WHICH CANNOT HELP PROP UP THE COUNTRY? IS THAT NOT THE REASON YOU RECEIVED THE TAX BREAKS? TO BE CREATING JOBS (OR AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT YOU CLAIMED???)YOU PRIVATE COMPANIES MAKE ME SICK...BEGGING FOR MY TAX DOLLARS..WHY NOT GO DESTITUTE LIKE SO MANY WHO WORKED FOR THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY?..AND YOU HAVE THE GALL TO CRITICIZE THE STATE WORKERS WHO HAVE TO PUT WITH LESS WAGES AND CONSTANTLY BE SCRUTINIZED BY HYPOCRITES LIKE YOU..PLEASE GROW UP AND STOP BEING SELFISH. TRY THIS..WHEN YOU POINT A FINGER AT SOMEONE 3 FINGERS POINT RIGHT BACK AT YOU. THE COUNTRY IS IN THIS MESS BECAUSE OF ALL THE TAX BREAKS YOU PRIVATES GOT AND ARE HIDING NOW NOT CREATING JOBS....GO AND FIND A JOB WITH THE STATE (i.e., if you educated enough..most likely you are a 12TH grade dropout like JOE THE PLUMBER) AND DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE STATE AND ITS PEOPLE.

You can't be that stupid or are you? This mess is from business tax cuts? How about Fannie and Freddie? How about the massive amount of loans made possible to people that can't pay them back? How about Obama and community organizers suing banks due to the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act to get more housing to poor folks via making banks make bad loans? How about Slick Willie in 1998 accelerating this Act? Or how about Fannie and Freddie being made to take on the responsibility for the bad loans? Or how about Barney Frank and the rest of the loser dems that even in June 2008 said the "sky was not falling and all is well"?
You need to get your head out of your democrat biased butt and see this is exactly what has caused this mess, DEMOCRATS that know nothing about business, just taxes. And gov't employees that seem to think they are the cream of society? They are no better. But let's be fair, we in the business sector have to plan and budget. Govt employees are privy to figure out how much to give everyone, including built in raises to themselves, and then pass their increase on to us, the workers. You don't make money pal, you only take it from those that do. And in a down economy are you cutting back? NO gov't is expanding. And now you represent 52% of all jobs in this state. Do we really need half the people in this state working for the govt? Who needs that kind of representation? No one.