Minnesota needs real changes

To the Editor:

In Steve Murphy’s last letter, (R-E, July 17) he claims that the DFL-led Legislature passed a responsible, sustainable budget.

To the DFL, “responsible” means increased taxes to save government jobs. Forget private sector jobs.

Higher taxes mean chasing private business out of the state which we will have with the DFL plan. This foolhardy plan for sustaining government programs would require higher taxes every year to make up for the business tax revenue decline from each previous year.

Murphy ignored Minnesota Finance Commissioner Tom Hanson who defended the governor’s plan, arguing against tax increases for long-term competitiveness. “It is our view that the governor’s plan will put us in a better position to recover from this recession,” Hanson said.

This year, Gov. Tim Pawlenty saved Minnesotans from the fate we would have endured by the DFL. Who will save us when Pawlenty is gone?

Will it be the “rich,” earning over $250,000, who the DFL love to hate and who they plan to soak with higher taxes? Watch them move to a lower tax state, and only vacation here. Then no taxes to Minnesota. Just as in high tax states like New York and California, the creators/producers of wealth are moving to lower taxed states.

If Murphy and friends have their way, it will just exacerbate the revenue shortfall and put an even larger tax burden on those of us who can’t escape the tax and spend crowd.

Responsible? Sustainable? No. The result will be a lower standard of living and lost opportunity for all Minnesotans.

Steve, Government needs to live on the actual money you collect and not take more and more from us.

Murphy chides the governor for not running again. How about more self-imposed term limits? Seventeen years and counting for Murphy, trying to raise taxes and scare people when he doesn’t get his way. I think Minnesota needs “change we can believe in.”

Citizens, choose carefully next time you vote. Get involved now to ensure that you will have a real choice in 2010.

Rick Voges

Red Wing

Rick Voges is the Goodhue County Republican Party chairman.

Tags: opinion, letters, voges, murphy