If you can’t pay attention to the simple details how can we trust you on the rest. By the way see that poll. If the idea was so simple and moderate people will be flocking to support it.

Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN

I’m reminded of a quote from Conan the Barbarian: “To crush your enemy and see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of those whiny, b*tch slapped Democrats”

Ahh, good times, good times.

Well, walter, it’s hard -mighty hard – hard work, workin’ hard- to keep track of which rightwinger is sayin’ what….

In Minnesota, in November 2006 and the months leading up to the election, Minnesota Democrats ran as fiscal conservatives, pledging no tax increases and promising to work with Republicans…

For months later, they violated House and Senate rules to stifle Republicans, and at the 11th hour tried to ram-rod over $5 billion in tax increases through the house, blowing completely past all of the compromises Pawlenty had put on the table.

Democrats lied their way in to office. So far this year, Democrats relative honesty about their intentions to tax the shit out of Minnesota is at least refreshing.

I’m saying that lawmakers should get a salary. The point is last year the DFL legislature which is saying we have to raise all kinds of taxes raised the per diems. It seems only fair if we have to sacarifice they should take the lead and give up the per diem increases they gave themselves. That by itself shows how silly it is for Senator Murphy to say I have to increase my gasoline taxes I pay when I buy gas and he gets more per diem payments. If I have pain he should get pain!

You should pay attention to the posts. The person who was making the argument on the metro area sales tax who mentioned the Twins stadium was Newton.

So Tommy if you can’t read simple posts that shows the lack of the credibility of your arguments.

And Tommy those lawmakers were saying before the election that they weren’t going to increase taxes so that people wouldn’t vote against them before the election. Now you as a true communist liberal knew they were lying, but a lot of people didn’t know that. That’s why come November the house DFL will go from about 90 lawmakers to about 60 or less.

Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN

Kinda like how all the things Gov. Bush campaigned on, hasn’t happened, eh?

Or kinda like how Mayor Young ran on a “Stay The Course”, but then tried to rule in a “Core Mission” method, eh?

But actually, anyone that has been paying attention, KNEW that the DFL wanted to increase the gas tax.

You were paying attention, weren’t you?

This is another huge waste of time, money and resources. If we had a GOP majority then we could get something accomplished that the people actually need done.

Hey, Walter – me, too.

It’s refreshing to see you actualy got something correct….

That way, only those wealthy enough to work for nothing, can represent the people.

That work for you?

How about before a single tax gets increased every law maker in Saint Paul repeals per diem payments to themselves plus they return the money. If they wants us to sarcrifice let them sacrafice first.

That seems fair according to your logic.

Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN

In a 1988 Saturday Night Live skit called “Dukakis after Dark,” Lloyd Bentsen asks Dukakis, “You were going to raise taxes, weren’t you?” Dukakis shiftily looks around to make sure no one is listening and whispers: “Through the roof.”
How times have changed!
Now Democrats are exposing their tax giddiness enthusiastically and in the light of day.
Tax hike are the Democrats’ gift that just keeps on giving.
The liberals in that party just can’t control themselves – they keep on proposing one new tax after another.

She was, therefore, ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on everything she’d learned in college, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father.

He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered that she still had her 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn’t even have time for a boyfriend, and didn’t really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, ‘How is your friend Audrey doing?’

She replied, ‘Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She’s always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn’t even show up for classes because she’s too hung over.’

Her wise father asked his daughter, ‘Why don’t you go to the Dean’s office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.’

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father’s suggestion, angrily fired back, ‘That’s a crazy idea, how would that be fair! I’ve worked really hard for my grades! I’ve invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!’

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, ‘Welcome to the Republican party.’

Seems to me that that noted pinko/commie organization, the Chamber of Commerce, WANTS a gas tax increase.

The CoC is neither Conservative nor Republican.

PLENTY of businesspeople are perfectly happy to have government pay for things using other peoples’ money.

The CoC doesn’t speak for Conservatism.

You sure know more about this than I do, which is a good thing.

I heard on TV last night that there would also be an additional sales tax in the metro area, set aside for transit. And with no vote by taxpayers.

I opposed the Twins stadium because they didn’t allow people in Hennepin County vote on the tax; the same may be true here – we should at least get to vote on raising funds for this bus tax.

I won’t say democrats are evil – because in my view they are not. However, I remember a year ago the state was running a surplus and now they’re in the red. And as any family knows, when money is tight, that’s not the time to spend lik crazy.

Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN

Seems to me that that noted pinko/commie organization, the Chamber of Commerce, WANTS a gas tax increase.

How can that be, Walter?

Metropolitan Coalition of Chambers 2007 Legislative Agenda Letter

The Metropolitan Coalition of Chambers (MCC), an association of 24 metro area chambers of commerce representing business in more than 60 communities, was formed five years ago as an advocate for significant investment and improvement in the Twin Cities’ transportation infrastructure.

This past year, MCC was successful in taking a strong first step toward a solution with the passage of Minnesota’s Transportation Amendment. This year, our first priority is to finish the job that voters approved by statutorily dedicating sixty percent of the motor vehicle sales tax (MVST) to highways, and forty percent to transit. MCC supports a further division of thirty-eight percent of the transit dollars to metro area projects and two percent for out-state transit programs. Use of the metro transit funds should be balanced between new starts and existing operating costs in order to best leverage available federal matching funds and should be based on existing long-term regional development plans.

Passage of the Transportation Amendment was only the first step toward solving Minnesota’s transportation challenges. MCC also supports the following moderate increase in on-going transportation investment:

$160 million 5 cent gas tax increase
$125 Restore vehicle tab fee cuts
$ 50 MnDOT efficiencies savings
$ 40 MVST on leased vehicles (to transit)
——————
$375 million annually
***

Personally, I’m saying if Governor Pawlenty uses that pen on transportation bills, you’ll see a veto-proof majority in the House next year, too.

The house isn’t veto proof. And come this fall if the DFL keeps up what they’re doing the house will basically not only go back to Republican control the Republicans might have all time high in state house reps.

Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN

You might want to check out the David Strom show from last Saturday (2-9). Apparently the DFL is going to play games with the money that the federal government is giving the state to pay for the 35W Bridge. Here’s how the scam works:

* The state of Minnesota has to pay the contractor whenever the contractor bills the state.

* the state than sends the bill to the federal government where they review it to meet the criteria of the bridge payment bill.

* The federal government than writes a check to the state to reimburse the expenses.

* The problem is thanks to the State Senate a special committee has been approved that must approve the use of “special” funds. This committee considers the highway money special funds and is holding up the state receiving the money to spend.

The end result of this game. The state to assure they have the funds to pay the bridge bill has been holding up temporaily projects which would have been approved. We’re having a slow down in road construction because the state doesn’t have the right to spend money that this committee has no business holding up. The lawmaker interviewed thinks it’s being held up as a gimmick to get a gasoline tax passed!

Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN

Why, so many of those evil democrats got elected in the senate, by NOT doin’ what the people want, that the DFL has a VETO-PROOF MAJORITY.

How does that happen, Walter?

Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN