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MNGOP: THE RYBAK RECORD PART I
By Luke Hellier | December 1, 2009
R.T. STANDS FOR RAISE TAXES
Raise Property Taxes
Candidate Rybak Promised To Hold The Line On Property Taxes. “To foster economic growth, Rybak said he would improve the city’s financial health, hold the line on property taxes, focus development on small business and industrial growth and send a clear message to downtown employers that the city will respond positively to those who are creating jobs.†(Scott D. Smith, “Rybak committed to private-public conduit,†Citybusiness, October 26, 2001)
But Property Taxes Have Skyrocketed Under Rybak. “Property taxes, which have risen steadily in Minneapolis and St. Paul, are likely to continue that trend. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak proposes to raise city property tax collections by 11.3 percent next year, the most during his two terms, after a string of 8 percent increases dating to 2003.â€Â (Steve Brandt & Anthony Lonetree, “When it’s about city taxes, devil’s in details for Minneapolis, St. Paul mayors,†Star Tribune, August 22, 2009)
Raise Sales Tax
Rybak Supported Half-Cent Sales Tax Hike. “Minnesotans could vote to increase their own taxes for roads and transit under a transportation funding plan proposed Tuesday by Twin Cities mayors and DFL legislators. A half-cent sales tax increase would raise more than $230 million a year for projects in the seven-county metro area alone… ‘We’re willing to lead on this issue … and put our money where our mouth is,’ Sen. Dan Larson, DFL-Bloomington, said at a Capitol news conference attended by 13 area mayors, including R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis.â€Â (Conrad deFiebre, “DFL legislators, metro mayors have transportation plan,†Star Tribune, February 28, 2007)
Rybak Would Look At Extending Sales Tax To Clothing. ““Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak explained that the governor is a chief executive, not a legislator. He described how his own executive experience would help navigate the state out of a looming budget deficit. Rybak also said he would look at expanding the state sales tax to clothing.â€Â (Tim Pugmire, “A sample of DFL dating in Rochester,†Minnesota Public Radio Website, October 22, 2009)
Raise Gas Tax
Rybak Backed State Gas Tax Hike Of 5-Cent-A-Gallon. “Eight Minnesota mayors called Tuesday for more transportation spending and urged legislators to pass a 5-cent-a-gallon increase in the state’s gasoline tax before they adjourn for the year. The group was led by Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak…â€Â (Laurie Blake, “8 mayors call for higher gas tax,†Star Tribune, May 1, 2002)
Rybak Called For Federal & State Gas Tax Increases. “During his speech, Mayor Rybak renewed his call for increases in state and federal gas taxes to fund needed transportation projects, including bridge repair, highway expansion and transit improvement.â€Â (“Mayor Rybak Urges More Transportation Funding,†US States News, October 10, 2007)
Backing Gas Tax Hike, Rybak Blamed Lack Of Tax Increases For Collapse Of I35 Bridge. “Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak was among those to testify at a hearing Wednesday on structurally deficient bridges. He told transportation committee members he endorsed Oberstar’s plan for a temporary increase in the federal gas tax. ‘In Minneapolis and in cities across the nation, we have not invested as we must in roads, bridges and transit, and our lack of investment has serious consequences,’ Rybak said. ‘I say this as the mayor of a city recovering from a tragedy that was not an act of God. It was a failure of man.’â€Â (Liz Riggs, “Rep. Oberstar proposes plan to improve nation’s bridges,†Minnesota Daily via University Wire, September 10, 2007)
- “Supporting Oberstar’s temporary 5-cent gas tax increase was Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who called the 35W bridge failure ‘not an act of God [but] a failure of man.’â€Â (Kevin Diaz, “Gas-tax increase to fix bridges is a tough sell,†Star Tribune, September 6, 2007)
Raise Fees
Running For Reelection In 2005, Rybak Pledged He Would Not Raise Fees. “If elected to a second term, the mayor said he would not raise fees, which he called a form of ‘hiding’ property tax increases that has been practiced in St. Paul.â€Â (Rochelle Olson, “Who should keep the city’s books?†Star Tribune, October 5, 2005)
But Rybak Has Since Backed Numerous Fee Increases:
- “Dog collars can’t weigh more than 2 pounds, tethers have to be three times the length of your animal, and if you want to keep anything that clucks, quacks or could be served as a holiday meal, get ready to pay $30 for a permit instead of the old $10 fee. Those are a few of the new ordinances passed unanimously last Friday by the City Council. The ordinances, which went into effect when Mayor R.T. Rybak signed them last week, are part of a trend in cities nationwide toward tougher animal controls.† (Chao Xiong, “Pet controls with more bite,†Star Tribune, December 27, 2006)
- “Supporters of the ban say circus animals are often mistreated by their trainers to get them to perform. Circus sponsors argued that they don’t abuse their animals and that they are already federally regulated. … The alternative that will be reviewed calls for measures including on- and off-site inspections using city animal control staff and contracted veterinarians, higher permit fees and stiffer fines. It was supported by Mayor R.T. Rybak.â€Â (Terry Collins, “Move to ban circus animals rejected,†Star Tribune, September 22, 2007)
- “Individual tax bills will depend on whether a home’s value increases more or less than others, but in general, the burden will shift slightly from residential to commercial property. On a house valued at $216,000, the city portion of the tax bill would increase by $20, or 1.7 percent. But utility fees on the same home would rise by $45 a year because Rybak is recommending hefty increases.â€Â (Steve Brandt, “Mayor’s 2009 budget plan includes big chunk to beef up public works,†Star Tribune, August 15, 2008)
- “Mayor R.T. Rybak has urged the council to raise the solid waste fee by $1 per month next year. That’s the first increase since 2006 and would raise the fee to $21 monthly. It covers services ranging from trash disposal to graffiti removal.â€Â (Steve Brandt, “Stop lawsuits or lose Minneapolis business, trash haulers told,†Star Tribune, October 21, 2008)
- “A proposal to have Minneapolis follow St. Paul in regulating newsracks won its first City Council test Tuesday after a strong endorsement from Mayor R.T. Rybak. … A fee preliminarily estimated at about $40 a year per box would be imposed to pay for the cost of regulation.â€Â (Steve Brandt, “Rules for newsracks advance in Minneapolis,†Star Tribune, December 3, 2008)
- “With their sales slumping, Minneapolis business owners are chafing under the potential burden of two new city fees, including one that the City Council may impose today. That proposal would charge the owners of the city’s 5,800 commercial buildings a fee ranging from $79 to $910 annually for a fire-safety inspection they’d get once every few years. … Also under consideration is a $6,000 annual fee that would affect an estimated 100 buildings. … Mayor R.T. Rybak is counting on the fire-inspection fees to help balance his 2009 budget.â€Â (Steve Brandt, “Businesses protest possible fire-safety fees,†Star Tribune, March 6, 2009)
- “A new street lighting fee proposed by Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak last February has hit the desks of a City Council that will need to make an election-year decision on whether to use it to help balance the city’s 2010 budget. Rybak proposed the fee, which would cost the typical residential property owner about $20 a year… The fee is designed to raise $3 million to pay for electricity and bulb replacement for the city’s 46,700 residential-area wooden poles, metal poles in business areas and parkway lights.† (Steve Brandt, “Plan to lighten city’s budget,†Star Tribune, July 8, 2009)
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