Say Anything Blog

The Grand Forks Herald had an interesting story as the top story on the front page today.  They’re discussing whether or not Minnesota should rebate part of the tax surplus. 

Whether to rebate part of the nearly $2.2 billion state budget surplus will be among the hot topics when Minnesota legislators return to St. Paul on Jan. 3. The surprisingly big surplus - double what many observers expected - brought on the question about whether to send taxpayers checks as happened during the administrations of Govs. Arne Carlson and Jesse Ventura.

I find it interesting that the Herald has discovered the tax rebate.  Last spring when it became apparent that North Dakota tax payers were being taxed too much the Herald had a different story to tell:

Government has promised a healthy chunk of the state’s money away

Rising Medicaid bills, a pay boost for government workers and Gov. John Hoeven’s promised increase in aid to local schools already are expected to take a healthy chunk of the state’s budget surplus, officials say….

Jodee Buhr, director of the North Dakota Public Employees Association, said the group has not settled yet on a pay recommendation of its own. The NDPEA will push for higher salaries, retention of the health benefit and a separate money pool to relieve salary disparities between jobs, Buhr said.

“We‘re going to look for a percentage that we think is fair,” Buhr said.

State employees receive health coverage for themselves and their families without having to contribute a portion of the monthly premium.

In July the Herald did their best to discourage the tax payers from thinking they’ll ever see their money.

A state worker pay plan has joined the competition for a slice of North Dakota’s budget surplus, one of several spending ideas that already are being discussed six months before the Legislature meets.

The plan would increase state employee pay by 3 percent next year and 4 percent in 2008, at a cost of about $17.5 million over two years.

It includes $5 million for agency pay adjustments and would keep fully paid health insurance coverage, which now costs $554 monthly per worker for a family policy. State workers do not contribute a share of the plan’s cost, and Hoeven has promised to include the benefit in his budget recommendations to the 2007 Legislature.

Last year, the Legislature approved a 4 percent pay increase for state workers that took effect July 1, 2005, and a second 4 percent rise that takes effect next month. Lawmakers also approved $1.5 million for pay adjustments for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and close to $200,000 for the Highway Patrol.

North Dakota’s budget surplus is well over $200 million, and state agencies and interest groups with suggestions on how to spend it are aggressively advancing their ideas, he said.

It’s not too late to talk to your state representative and tell them that it’s our money that the government took.  We want it back.  If the state spends the surplus they’ll be looking to spend even more money the next time around.

The Governor’s rebate plan is too little and structured wrong.  You can read about it here. It’s my opinion that if the Governor’s property tax reduction plan passes the local taxing districts will raise the taxes they levy and spend the money.