Say Anything Blog

These guys sure can’t stand the idea that the people might get to keep some more of their own money.

The Herald ran an Op-Ed once again to try to scare the public out of voting for Measure number 2.  Rather than letting someone else talk they go right back to the usual suspects like the George Soros funded “Center on Policy Priorities.”

It seems that the Forum Properties sure hate the fact that the organization sponsoring the tax cut measure is a local chapter of a national organization.  But somehow they don’t mind at all that this group can jet in for a day and make themselves an expert. 

Of course this Op-Ed didn’t cover any new ground that wasn’t talked about in their press release.  Blah blah blah.  North Dakota can’t afford a tax cut. Blah Blah Blah (Even though we increased spending 23% last year and still had a 1.3 Billion dollar surplus.)   

What I do find interesting that somehow according to these jokers, while a tax cut is unaffordable, spending the money is.

For example, businesses are drawn to states that have modern infrastructure, skilled workers and strong education systems. North Dakota can attract more businesses by making needed repairs to its roads and bridges, making its public colleges and universities more affordable and boosting K-12 education spending, which is currently below the national average.

Well first of all North Dakota generously addressed those issues last year.  Spending went up by $400 million.  But my main question is if we spend the money isn’t that going to be the new baseline for spending increases.  After all last year they increased spending 23% and they want to base their spending increases off of that already inflated number.

And if state revenues go down what’s going to happen?  I’ll tell you, it’ll be just like in the 80’s.  Spending went way up in the early 80’s and when revenues came down the legislature raised taxes over and over again. State agencies weren’t going to share in the tough times according to them.

Clearly the riskiest course left to North Dakota is to once again spend the money. 

This Soros lackey also doesn’t seem to understand the initiated measure process in North Dakota. 

Ideas such as these deserve public debate. But under Measure 2, North Dakota likely wouldn’t even be able to consider them because it wouldn’t be able to afford them.

Golly, isn’t the initiated measure process the epitome of Democracy?  This guys acting like somehow the public’s being cut out of the debate when nothing could be further from the truth. 

The guy also mentioned that perhaps we should be considering tax cuts that would have benefits to a broader section of the public.  He says that a third of North Dakotan’s would be left out from this tax cut because they don’t pay income taxes and suggests property tax relief as well.  While that’s irrelevant to the discussion when we are considering a tax cut which is for tax payers it’s also an incredibly stupid point. 

Roughly 40% of adults in this state don’t pay property taxes because they rent.  So a case could be made that the income tax actually helps more people than would some kind of property tax relief plan.  You also need to know that the property tax relief plan that John Hoeven’s got on the table doesn’t actually lower property taxes after the first year.  His “property tax” relief is just a disguise for a massive increase in spending. 

The state isn’t responsible for high property taxes so how can they lower them?  Now this guy mentions that we should have considered sales tax relief.  Maybe that would have been a good idea, but it’s not on the table right now.  What we do know is that unless the voters take matters into their own hands they won’t get anything out of the legislature.  Last year it took until the last day for them to act on tax relief.  What we got was pitiful compared to the massive amount of new spending that they found that we could afford (sound familiar?)  And by then the only money left was the money in our trust fund.

The takeaway from this is that Governor Hoeven’s tax $400 million tax relief plan has no new tax relief in it.  Just more spending.  If the tax payers of North Dakota want sustainable tax relief that leaves plenty of money for the government they need to vote yes on Measure 2 Tuesday. 

This is a battle off the elites versus the taxpayers.