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DON’T BELIEVE THE SPIN: FRANKEN SUPPORTS RAISING THE GAS TAX
By Michael B. Brodkorb | August 25, 2007
I was surprised to read this in Mark Gisleson's spin from last evening's DFL senate candidate debate on "Almanac":
"Andy Birkey from Minnesota Monitor has a very good summary although he's incorrect in saying that Al Franken supported a gas tax rise, and none of the candidates specified an amount (Ciresi gave a 4-6¢ range). Franken said he'd 'keep it on the table' but did not agree to raise the gas tax. And again, it wasn't a question that should have been put to Senate candidates." Source: Norwegianity, August 24, 2007
Gisleson is absolutely wrong. None of the three candidates said they were opposed to raising the gas tax. In fact, Franken went a step further and said "I think we should do it [raise the gas tax increase] here in Minnesota." Source: "Almanac", August 24, 2007
The record is clear: Franken supports raising the gas tax.
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This post also appears on Blogs for Norm!, an online community and blog covering the 2008 U.S. Senate campaign in Minnesota. The primary goal of Blogs for Norm! is to organize bloggers who support U.S. Senator Norm Coleman.
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27 Responses to “DON’T BELIEVE THE SPIN: FRANKEN SUPPORTS RAISING THE GAS TAX”
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August 25th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
“And again, it wasn’t a question that should have been put to Senate candidates.”
Why exactly should the question not have been put to Senate candidates? Gas tax increases are being pushed at both the national and state level, and it’s reasonable to assume that the Senate candidates will be required to vote on the issue in the future.
This is the exact type of question that should “be put to” all candidates at both state and national levels.
Perhaps this liberal boob doesn’t like the question is because he knows that liberals support every increase, including this one, which is opposed by 75 percent of the public.
Sorry if the question is inconvenient, Mark. But it should and will continue to be asked.
August 25th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
It’s a fair question for the federal candidates. After all Oberstar proposed a federal gas tax increase.
August 25th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I have now had a chance to review the debate at TPT and I misunderstood the question. It WAS about the federal gas tax, and NO, Al Franken clearly did not endorse a federal gas tax hike. He did, however, state that the state should raise it’s gas tax.
I was off on my answer, and so are you. You must specify that the candidates were responding to a federal gas tax hike or you are misleading your readers.
BUT, I’m sure all three do support a hike in the state gas tax, even though Franken was the only one to say so, that question not having been asked.
August 25th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Oh, and Chestnut, why on earth would I be evasive about a gas tax increase? I support one at the state and federal levels.
As someone who was born conservative and who left the Republican party when it got radicalized post-Nixon, I believe that it’s reckless and irresponsible to underfund necessary services.
I have no respect at all for Mn Republican opposition to a gas tax hike, and even less respect for the gambit of trying to make this a trade off issue.
Highways and bridges MUST be maintained and repaired. That’s not debateable. Holding this necessary work hostage to some political pledge on taxes is reprehensible. If you want to cut out all social services from the state budget, well, go ahead and try. But don’t say it’s a choice between the two. Each expenditure is its own choice, and each decision should stand alone on its own merits.
Pawlenty played hardball with an essential service when he should have been leading and fighting for even more funding.
August 25th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Mark, you’re the one who said: “And again, it wasn’t a question that should have been put to Senate candidates.”
That’s how you’re being evasive you nit.
I have no respect for liberal clamoring for gas tax increases at any level. Even less for their usual reckless pandering. The tax will only hurt the economy, and it will never find its way to its intended purpose.
There’s more than enough funding at the state and federal level. Politicians need to start spending it wisely. With Democrats in charge, there’s no hope for that, however.
Pawlenty showed incredible leadership in the face of an unprecedented reckless and dishonest push by liberals to pickpocket taxpayers for an additional $5 Billion… none of which was for road and bridge improvements.
You and your ilk make me sick.
August 25th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
[...] Wesley Clark DON’T BELIEVE THE SPIN: FRANKEN SUPPORTS RAISING THE GAS TAX » This Summary is from an article posted at Minnesota Democrats Exposed on Saturday, August 25, 2007 DON’T BELIEVE THE SPIN: FRANKEN SUPPORTS RAISING THE GAS TAX August 25, 2007 12: … he’s incorrect in saying that Al Franken supported a gas tax rise, and none of the candidates specified an amount (Ciresi gave a 4-6¢ range). Franken said he’d ‘keep it on the table’ but did not agree Summary Provided by Technorati.comView Original Article at Minnesota Democrats Exposed » 10 Most Recent News Articles About Al Franken [...]
August 25th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Chesnut, I’ll write real slowly for you.
I THOUGHT the question was about the MN gas tax. There is NO POINT to asking Senate candidates about a state tax.
What’s evasive about me correcting myself and pointing out where this blog also got twisted up in that answer? Especially not when I admit that all the Dems would support such a state tax because it’s really needed?
And Pawlenty did veto two gas tax increases. That is its own issue. It’s not part of anything else. He did what he did. Period.
Feel free to ask any other questions if you’re still confused. I’m not trying to be evasive, but you seem determined to give offense.
August 25th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
***tax will only hurt the economy, ***
Complete BS.
Rational people need only ask the question: “Is it cheaper to pay a dame a gallon and have employees and goods move faster; or save the dime and pay for employees and goods sit stuck, in traffic.”
August 25th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Mark, I don’t know how fast you type. And I won’t bother using all caps… You’re asking me to understand your chronology… I’ll ask you to understand your chronology.
I criticized your silly statement that the question shouldn’t be asked of Senate candidates when we (including you) thought your comment was related to a state gas tax increase.
Eitherway, everyone also knew that this issue is important at the state and federal level. So regardless of your failure to understand the question, it was a stupid comment. Minnesota Senate Candidates should be expected to answer questions of importance to Minnesota voters. Do they support a state increase? Do they support a national increase. Both are questions with merit, regardless of the candidate. Fool.
Nothing’s evasive about you correcting yourself, except asking why I thought you were being evasive before you corrected yourself. Get a time line… and a watch. Learn how to use them.
Now, you’re right. Pawlenty did veto two gas tax increases. Both were lumped in to gianormous bills that included dozens of other tax increases. He vetoed reckless, bullshit legislation that the DFL forced through the legislation at the 11th hour.
Those gas tax increase are not separate issues, because they were part of larger issues. Are you this stupid naturally? Or do you practice?
Throughout his administration, Pawlenty has showed incredible leadership.
Feel free to continue studying. Granted you’re another uninformed, ignorant liberal, I’ll presume you won’t get far fast.
August 25th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Tommy, the proposed taxes would have taken $5 billion out of the economy. At that speed, it doesn’t matter how fast anything gets to market if nobody can afford to buy any of it.
Even by themselves, the federal gas tax will never find its way to road improvements… it already finds its way to bike trails and bullshit. The state gas tax was 7.5 cents per gallon, not 5 cents.
Over the last 15 years, gas tax receipts have increased 300 percent. Why do we need even more? Where’s the money going? Answer: useless transit projects, and pet projects.
The gas tax increase won’t do a damn thing to get anything anywhere faster. It will only extract more cash out of your wallet.
August 26th, 2007 at 1:34 am
Its not like the government snaps its finger and the $5 billion is gone. They put the money right back into the economy just like everyone else. The difference is that I cant build a bike trail or a transit line or maintain some bridges for the hundred dollars or so a year this would cost me, the gov’t can. I’m surprised that republicans aren’t for raising the gas tax. Pawlenty could recast it as another user fee. He still is a vice prez contender, right?
August 26th, 2007 at 6:42 am
The problem anon is the government spending it on crap we don’t need, like bike trails. And the higher taxes take a lot more out of the economy because companies pass along the tax increase to the consumer, and higher prices mean we spend less overall because we stop buying things.
August 26th, 2007 at 6:59 am
Anon… where on earth did you learn that bullshit? And why on earth should we empower even more oppressive government. Government is a force of oppression, not empowerment. That oppression is illustrated best by government theft, where individual freedom is taken away.
The government has no right to the money the people earn. When government steels more money from the people, the people have fewer incentives do the things that earn them more money. And everyone loses… and that $5 Billion disappears.
Moreover… $5 Billion a year would cost you a hell of a lot more than $100 per year. … well, unless you’re part of the 45 percent who pay no taxes (aka the DFL base).
August 26th, 2007 at 7:50 am
Liberals like to think that wealth just magically exists. They either ignore or are too stupid to understand that wealth is earned. When government removes incentives to earn and build wealth, wealth is not produced.
August 26th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Are you telling me that 45% of people don’t use gasoline? We are still talking about the gas tax correct?
How is increasing a tax to pay for infrastructure going to remove incentives to build wealth? Your basic argument is that people have to have encouragement to go out and look for wealth. I haven’t met a person whose ambition in life was to get wealth so they could spend their money to maintain the infrastructure that they use on a daily basis.
No one can build wealth if the basic tools, infrastructure and education, are lacking.
August 26th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Anon, if we tax so much that people can’t afford to buy anything, then taxes go down. For instance, if you raise the gas tax, a good portion of the items we buy every day that are necessities, ie food and clothing, will go up because it costs more to produce (or grow) and then ship the items to market. That increase will be passed onto the consumer otherwise the businesses or farmers couldn’t survive. Now if my cost to buy even just food goes us (like it has this year for the high gasoline prices), then I have less to spend elsewhere.
What we need to do is get rid of all the non-necessary BS from the federal and state budgets. We sure as hell don’t need 130 miles worth of paved recreational bike trails. But hey, our transporation dollars sure paid for that instead of necessary things like roads and bridges.
August 26th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
The funny thing about the gas tax, is that it was not proposed at any level to improve roads and bridges. DFLers proposed it as a penalty for driving. They fully intended for the gasoline tax to produce lower consumption… and therefore, lower revenues.
That’s a cute approach if you buy in to the man-made global warming myth. But to pretend now that the gas tax was for roads in bridges is an out and out lie. Of course, it’s a DFL lie. The only kind.
August 26th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
federal and state gas taxes go to more “bridges to nowhere”… to more useless highways no body uses… it isnt that we arent taxed enough..it is that we spend too much…Mark..your a dickhead
August 26th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
something else interesting in “minnesota Monitor ” regarding the debate……. Franken said ” I wont call Norm Coleman names”…calling him “buttboy” is not name calling??..Franken is a lying prick
August 26th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
I took the opportunity at the fair yesterday to give Al a chance to set the record straight on a very troubling issue, but found that getting a straight question out of Al is impossible:
http://restraininorder.blogspot.com/2007/08/frank-question-goes-unanswered.html
August 26th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
I finally watched this debate, and man what a horror show thanks to these three misfits. Franken said he was in favor of a gas tax because it will force people out of their cars. Whatever, Al.
This special session is going to happen so I have an idea. Pawlenty should say fine if you want to raise the gas tax then 60% of the state gas tax should go to the 7 county metro which accounts for 60% of the states population. Currently the 7 county metro only gets 25% of the gas tax.
Meanwhile, Bush should tell Oberstar that you want a nickle increase in the fed gas tax fine, then appove drilling in ANWR first. Just signing the ANWR drilling bill would cause oil prices to drop. How about some “bipartisanship”? You Dems allow us to create 700 new union jobs in the oil drilling business and we will give you your favorite pet project, increased taxation.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Al Franken says a lot of people running Air America were “not honest.” … Al Franken was one of those “running Air America”…
Al Franken is a liar, cheat and a fraud. He may as well have personally stolen the money from poor kids trying to get to camp. Actually, speaking of which… that the Gloria Wise “charity” gave money to a divisive, dishonest and partisan broadcast endeavor smacks of financial impropriety.
Al Franken should continue to be exposed for the greedy, lying pig that he is. The Gloria Wise “charity” should lose its tax exempt status.
What a bunch of crooks.
August 26th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Swiftee: (re: trying to be a tough guy to Al at the Fair)-You’re one ugly SOB, eh? Were you smacked around as a kid? Why are you such a black hearted trouble maker? When you walked away, they said – “the guy had a nutty look about him, didn’t he? Ya think he was packin’ and about ready to use it?” “Was that lice in his beard?”
August 26th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
I have to admit I enjoyed watching Al squirm, but the bigger purpose was to show people who and what Al is.
Al got his lunch handed him.
When faced with a straightforward question exposing his greed and hypocricy, he chose to tap dance for the crowd instead of accepting responsibility for his decisions like a man.
August 26th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
truth teller..yea that is al lthe DFLiar party has…insulting people behind their backs…the fact they said all this after swiftee walked away is telling………..typical pussy party
August 26th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
No one said anthing.
Your typical Democrat does not have anything to “say” until he has reached the safety of an anonymous comment thread.
August 27th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
“Its not like the government snaps its finger and the $5 billion is gone. They put the money right back into the economy just like everyone else.”
Gee, why can’t the government just fire up the presses and print themselves $5 billion worth of crisp new bills. Problem solved, right?