how messed up is my state?

[Reed]

Just another example of the foolishness of man:

The state of minnesota has passed laws making it illegal to smoke inside in an effort to reduce smoking.

The state of minnesota doesn't have enough money for its buget growth of 8% - 10% per 2 years.

The state of minnesota passes a budget recommending a tax on tobacco to provide the needed revenue.

so on the one hand they are saying don't smoke but on the other hand they are relying on the tax money from smokers to fund the government.

This is an unfair tax. It targets an unpopular minority and punishes them for what the majority perceives as bad behavior.

It is also an unwise tax. The state is relying on raising money by taxing a behavior that they want to discourage. So theoretically the revenue source will eventually diminish if they are successful in changing peoples behavior.

Why can't governments just consider slowing budget growth and living within their means?

Instead, we will pay more in taxes and receive more services. We have services for everyone in this state! Our preK - 12 public schools have a 12 BILLION dollar 2 year budget -- 40 % of our total 2 year budget.

Is this a great state or what? All you need to do is move here and get a job in public education and you have got it made! Our state legislature will take care of you. You agree to pay high taxes and the state legislature will make sure that you have a job. It's really quite close to the socialist model.

At least the legislature didn't go with what our Republican caucus wanted to do -- state casinos (doh!)


Reed

[Edited on 7-13-2005 by Reed]

 

[Scott Bushey]

Reed,
Is this suprising? Generally speaking, 98% of the poulation are nuts, and the remaining 2% vacillate back and forth.........

 

[ReformedWretch]

98% of the poulation are nuts, and the remaining 2% vacillate back and forth.........

I love that! Except where does that leave us?:bigsmile:

 

[Scott Bushey]

Adam,
Like I said, we (all) vacillate back and forth. Blame it on the fall.

 

[govols]

The Fair Tax book is coming out next month.

Fair Tax

 

[Puddleglum]

Move to Washington . . . last year, some wonderful Seattle politicians decided to try and tax LATTES to raise money for PRESCHOOLS. Seriously.
(It had to get public approval to be enacted, and didn't).

And then the legislature decided to enact a state-wide 9.5 cent gas tax increase to pay for some road work that needs doing - in Seattle, of course.

And don't mention the monorail . . .

Or our messed-up elections system . . . especially the governor's race last year. And, regardless of your opinion on that, King County Elections is still messed up. I've had to re-register TWICE in the last year. They lost my signature, apparently. And then it didn't match.

And then there's the land-use law King County put into place, which basically says that, if you own land, you can't do anything with most of it - which is okay in Seattle, where it's all developed already, but here in South King County we've still got farms and lots of open land . . .

We do the tobacco tax thing, too - but that's pretty normal! Maybe I'll move to Minnnesota.

 

[Puritanhead]

"The state is the great fiction by which everybody seeks to live at the expense of everybody else." --Frederic Bastiat

Eventually, the extravagence and largesse of our federal, state and local governments will come to an end and economic collapse will take hold, and we will not be able to afford the irresponsible, exorbitant government-- it's inevitable... The U.S. Dollar is doomed and just waiting for the correction--

 

[twogunfighter]

recommend a move to TN. No income tax and we ring your congressional buildings with our trucks and bring government to a halt if you try to pass it!

 

[Augusta]

Washington doesn't have income tax either but they make up for that in all sorts of ways.

Puddlegum is right. Our state is disgraceful politically.