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DFLER IN ABLER’S DISTRICT TELLS MPR THAT SHE CAN’T AFFORD GAS TAX INCREASE
By Michael B. Brodkorb | February 26, 2008
"Even the Democrats who stop by Casey's think raising say raising the gas tax is a bad move. Anoka DFLer Kelly Witthuhn said she can't afford it.
'We're all struggling around here just to keep our houses,' she said. 'A lot of us around here around here are going into foreclosure almost because we can't pay our bills. No work, no nothing. It's tough.'" Source: MPR, February 26, 2008
Click here for the complete story.
Tags: Override Six
Topics: Override Six | 24 Comments »
24 Responses to “DFLER IN ABLER’S DISTRICT TELLS MPR THAT SHE CAN’T AFFORD GAS TAX INCREASE”
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February 26th, 2008 at 9:05 PM
Prediction of gas prices hitting $4 by spring.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/27/business/26gasweb.php
I wonder how they’ll defend themselves when this hits.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:51 AM
what kind of car do these folks drive? do they carpool?
February 27th, 2008 at 2:42 AM
One person from Pawlenty’s state [MN] writes to MDE that el presidente can’t afford another four more years of Dick Cheney commanding some things for the White House
February 27th, 2008 at 5:54 AM
I guess someone better tell Kelly Witthuhn that Franken’s pretty sure she won’t notice it. It’s only a nickel or two… And it’s for the good of the state.
Un [expletive] believable.
February 27th, 2008 at 7:01 AM
Most Minnesotans will notice better roads, bridges and less gridlock.
I would rather pay my share then let my children and grandchildren pay for it.
If gas is at $3/gal now and the demand for oil by China and India continues to grow, what will our future generations be paying?
I will gladly pay the extra $50 to $60 a year in a gas tax to have safe roads and bridges to travel on for me, my children and grandchildren.
That’ll do Sheeple, that’ll do
February 27th, 2008 at 8:25 AM
Hey HCDFL:
One, this was more than a gasoline tax. It was a sales tax and license tab increase so it’s more than $50 to $60
Two, the reason why gasoline is going to go up is because the Democrats you support won’t let us drill for oil in places like ANWAR and off the coast of Florida. What’s worse is because of the out cry you have made to protect environment that didn’t need to protect (Cuba and Mexico have no problem drilling in areas where our people are afraid of) you have dragged in some key Republicans in the process. If we want lower gasoline prices the first thing that should be done is do the exact opposite the Sierra club supports.
and three, you talk about safer roads. We could’ve had over seven billion in roads without the tax increases so don’t noblely think you’re doing your part to have better roads. You’re supporting the diversion of money to worthless mass transit projects that don’t reduce congestion or pollution.
Four, since you have no problems paying more in taxes why don’t you send me and everybody else that thinks this money was stolen from us the more than $50 to $60 we will pay since you’re independtly wealthy and have money to burn.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
February 27th, 2008 at 8:29 AM
The only “sheeple” are those who believe this will bring less “gridlock” and better roads. I’d keep that hook wound clean or it’s going to get infected.
Where is this “gridlock” you speak of? Anyone who calls our roads “gridlock” is a farmer who’s never traveled to real places like Chicago or LA. They make 494 look like a two lane highway with a tractor or cow in the road once in a while.
Same goes for the condition of our roads. Thinking we have bad roads is either conditioned thinking or based in politics, it’s not based on fact. (And don’t go to the bridge collapse, that’s design not maintenance – what exactly where they doing on the bridge when it collapsed? Maintenance.)
Lastly, the ridiculous crap about us having to pay instead of our kids. You don’t think THEY’RE going to be paying these same taxes? They’re never going away. AND the DFL will be BONDING for all their arts and crafts, so the kids will be paying for those things AND higher taxes.
February 27th, 2008 at 8:59 AM
If any of you think that spending a billion dollars on the University Ave. light rail project will ease congestion on our interstate system, you’re nuts.
If the DFL is opposed to bonding, then why are they putting together a billion dollar bonding bill this session that will straddle our children and grandchildren with debt on buildings, trails, swimming pools, community centers, etc.? If you’re in favor of paying as you go, then pay as you go. Otherwise, drop this phony argument about strapping our children with debt. The roads will last just as long as the other projects in the bonding bill.
February 27th, 2008 at 10:57 AM
I agree we have not spent enough on roads and bridges.
However, we spend $37B biannually so there should be money there not to raise taxes.
It’s a matter of setting priorities and we have failed to do so. Instead of spending on roads and bridges, we have spent on social programs and feel good legislation. We have failed to prioritize like adults and instead acted like children incapable of setting priorities and saying “no” once and a while.
Finally, if anyone thinks this will help with congestion and gridlock, you are living in fantasy land. This money won’t expand 494-694 to 6 lanes each way as is really needed. This money won’t build another loop around the 3rd ring suburbs. This money won’t widen 35 or 94 to 5 lanes through the metro as is needed.
In ten years, we’ll be left wondering how all the extra money did nothing to solve the problem. We’ll still be coplaining about gridlock and how we have losuy roads in 10 years.
February 27th, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Walter, if you want to live by the same standards as Mexico and Cuba, then I worry for you.
Anyone driving ours roads can see they suck and need some tuning up. The exit I take to go to downtown Minneapolis, Cretin/Vandalia off of 94 right inbetween the two downtowns, I have to dodge a pothole on that offramp everytime. My roommate who never drives drove my car right over it and I was worried about my tire popping or something.
Comparing our gridlock to Chicago and LA is like comparing St. Cloud traffic to MSP. The sheer size difference of the cities in comparison makes the comparison, well, dumb. LA has 12 lane highways that are still gridlocked, can’t compare the two at all.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:33 PM
HCDFL – transit will NEVER reduce the so-called “gridlock”. The only thing that’ll fix that is if we add more lanes to our highways.
Why are car drivers paying for light rail, buses and bike paths? Let the tree-hugging dipshits who use transit PAY for it. I don’t ask transit riders to pay for the roads, but it’s ok for them to ask it of me? Screw that.
I’m tired of subsidizing unproductive, overpriced bullshit for the good of a few peace-niks.
Get bent.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:38 PM
So we hand over 6 turncoats to the Democrats in return for a pile of new GOP voters…I call that a good trade.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:00 PM
What a DFL voter opposed the transportation bill? By Marty Seifert’s logic we should take them out and shoot them on the spot!
They should be stripped of their car and home and their children should be sent out for adoption.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:31 PM
Will the road and bridges every be fixed?. Will there ever be enough light rail? If the answer is yes than the increased gas tax should go away. The increase in lincense tabs shoul go away. Why don’t I think this will ever happen. Enough is never enough!
February 27th, 2008 at 1:34 PM
Andrew:
I want to live to better standards than Mexico or Cuba. The problem is in Cuba unless you’re a privelleged person like Castro you’re not allowed to be wealthy. In Mexico the government doesn’t know how to create economic growth. A key part of their growth plan is to have citizens run to the United States earn money and send it home.
What you seem to support is lets have bad mass transit that costs billions of dollars for just one train instead of getting more money out of the budget to build roads. Keep in mind the Republicans had a proposal out there got more money for roads without a cent of tax increases.
The tax increases weren’t for the roads. It was for transit and to try to protect the other programs that might get cut to fund the roads!
By the way Andrew thanks for agreeing to pay for my share (that’s what the government does in Cuba). So how we going to work out our payments to us.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
February 27th, 2008 at 2:13 PM
I have a lot of family in out state, including my elderly parents who are, like most retirees, on a fixed income. Now their license fees have gone way up what, $200-$300 a year for their two vehicles? Needless to say the pure beauty of the irony is lost on my parents. They have to pay more so that there can be a train they will never even see that will be subsidized transport for people who make way more money then them. That is going to hurt.
My brother is laughing at me since he just moved to North Dakota, as he should. That is easy to do when you live near a boarder already. This is going to be a huge boon for the Wisconsin and Dakota boarder towns.
To the smacktard lefties on this thread: Why were roads ignored for two decades in the first place; why is so much money going to things other then roads; why wasn’t the allotment formula fixed; why isn’t 37 billion enough for a population of 5 million?
By God, if two years from now I’m sitting in stop and go traffic while paying for a train or getting bounced off my motorcycle on a rutted road while a new blinged out shelter is being built along a bike trail, I’m going to be kicking some DFLer in the nuts.
February 27th, 2008 at 3:08 PM
ManGenius, start working on your kick because you described exactly what will happen. No road improvements, just more transit projects.
At some point the democrats will bankrupt the state and then cry how the Republicans did it and with any luck all that will be left to bail them out are a bunch of liberals already working for the state.
I say cut every government job pay by 10% and we would cover this easy. If they can get better paying jobs with better benefits than go!!
You know the democRats ran this truogh quickly because next year they will be back asking for more, want to bet?
February 27th, 2008 at 3:26 PM
ManGenius, your brother is moving to North Dakota and he is laughing at you?
Tell him to have fun in no man’s land.
You can also give Big K a kick in the ass, because he has no idea what he is talking about. Most of the money in the bill goes towards roads and bridges and not transit.
February 27th, 2008 at 4:15 PM
We could make a big dent in the money problems here simply by making our welfare benefits equal to, rather than more generous than surrounding states. Millions would be saved on so many levels (social services, welfare payments, schools, prisons, police forces, etc. etc. etc).
1/3 of Hennepin County recipients are from other states, i.e. Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin.
It makes me sick. Why does this state’s welfare need to be more generous than other states’????
February 27th, 2008 at 4:54 PM
Yessar, I invite you to try and hive me a kick in the ass.
Something tells me you cannot kick that high. 
Show me your number dipshit, I have read the bill and no, most of the money will not go to roads and bridges here in the metro.
Now go back and lay by your dish before I swat you.
February 27th, 2008 at 6:45 PM
Hey Red girl
We tried that idea. The Minnesota State Supreme court said it was unconstitutional because it interferred with people’s right to move (so what if Wisconsin did it!). Why do you think Republicans care about judges?
Walter Hanson
February 27th, 2008 at 8:03 PM
Zeebus says…”HCDFL – transit will NEVER reduce the so-called “gridlockâ€. The only thing that’ll fix that is if we add more lanes to our highways.”
Which Highways are you talking about Zeebus??? Hwy 100, Hwy 169, the Crosstown, Hwy 212, I-494, I-35, I-94 ??? Widen them? that would require displacing numerous homes and businesses. That will take money, lots of money.
February 29th, 2008 at 9:17 AM
Kathy still less than buying choo-choo lines.
February 29th, 2008 at 9:47 AM
Kathy
Were any businesses or homeowners forced to move when the Hiawatha LRT was built?