i'thapHithiN

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1 year ago
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minnpost: Think you can balance the state budget? Give it a try Take the deficit into your own hands with the MinnPost state budget calculator. We found it surprisingly easy, though, admittedly, we weren’t aiming for realistic solutions. Oh hey, I balanced the budget! How, you ask? A quick rundown: Sales tax on clothing - while this has been an enjoyable little perk during my stay in Minnesota, and has produced the very rational decision to only purchase clothing online or in this state, I fail to understand why this option hasn’t been triggered yet to cover more pressing concerns (y’know… tuition increases, K-12, MinnesotaCare) Sales taxes on alcohol and tobacco - Definitely a fan of sin taxes (one day, I’ll have to opportunity to legislate taxes on marijuana… one day). And yes, I know they’ll reduce consumption of said sinfulness, thus reducing the tax income. 10% income tax surcharge/Raise taxes to 1998 levels/9% tax bracket for wealthy couples/Home Mortgage Interest Deduction - Yup, Imma balance this budget on the backs of the rich. While this particular exercise states one of these options to be another temporary solution to a permanent problem, I would preferably maintain these taxes as long as possible, for several reasons: Investment in mass transit, expansion of MinnesotaCare, increased K-12 funding and post-secondary ed funding, and above all others counter-cyclical measures to buffer the state from future budget crunches - why not save some fucking money so you don’t have to consider firing thousands of state employees and stripping health insurance from tens of thousands. SCIENCE.  Eliminate JOBZ program - I needed $51 million to completely plug the deficit. Find me a better fix, and I’ll drop this. Revamp school transportation/Pool health-insurance purchasing/Coordinate state purchasing - All sound reasonable, and using “local control” as an excuse for wasting money? Pshaw. Cut spending for prisons - I’d like to see this extended through more prevention efforts (more PoPo on the beat, treatment centers, drug decriminalization). This is the last industry MN should be advocating. Cut corporate income tax/Cut levy for commercial-industrial property - Personally, I’d prefer to get rid of corporate income taxes all together, in order to simplify the tax code. I’d much rather prefer focusing on income and consumption taxes.  There are certainly other options I would consider, so put them on the table. Tear apart my though process. And find a way for me to not have to tax clothing - that makes my faggot heart very, very sad. :-(

minnpost:

Think you can balance the state budget? Give it a try

Take the deficit into your own hands with the MinnPost state budget calculator.

We found it surprisingly easy, though, admittedly, we weren’t aiming for realistic solutions.

Oh hey, I balanced the budget!

How, you ask? A quick rundown:

  • Sales tax on clothing - while this has been an enjoyable little perk during my stay in Minnesota, and has produced the very rational decision to only purchase clothing online or in this state, I fail to understand why this option hasn’t been triggered yet to cover more pressing concerns (y’know… tuition increases, K-12, MinnesotaCare)
  • Sales taxes on alcohol and tobacco - Definitely a fan of sin taxes (one day, I’ll have to opportunity to legislate taxes on marijuana… one day). And yes, I know they’ll reduce consumption of said sinfulness, thus reducing the tax income.
  • 10% income tax surcharge/Raise taxes to 1998 levels/9% tax bracket for wealthy couples/Home Mortgage Interest Deduction - Yup, Imma balance this budget on the backs of the rich. While this particular exercise states one of these options to be another temporary solution to a permanent problem, I would preferably maintain these taxes as long as possible, for several reasons: Investment in mass transit, expansion of MinnesotaCare, increased K-12 funding and post-secondary ed funding, and above all others counter-cyclical measures to buffer the state from future budget crunches - why not save some fucking money so you don’t have to consider firing thousands of state employees and stripping health insurance from tens of thousands. SCIENCE. 
  • Eliminate JOBZ program - I needed $51 million to completely plug the deficit. Find me a better fix, and I’ll drop this.
  • Revamp school transportation/Pool health-insurance purchasing/Coordinate state purchasing - All sound reasonable, and using “local control” as an excuse for wasting money? Pshaw.
  • Cut spending for prisons - I’d like to see this extended through more prevention efforts (more PoPo on the beat, treatment centers, drug decriminalization). This is the last industry MN should be advocating.
  • Cut corporate income tax/Cut levy for commercial-industrial property - Personally, I’d prefer to get rid of corporate income taxes all together, in order to simplify the tax code. I’d much rather prefer focusing on income and consumption taxes. 

There are certainly other options I would consider, so put them on the table. Tear apart my though process. And find a way for me to not have to tax clothing - that makes my faggot heart very, very sad. :-(

  1. i-thaphithin reblogged this from minnpost and added:
    Oh hey, I balanced the budget! How,...ask? A quick rundown: Sales tax on clothing - while...
  2. marcoscopic reblogged this from bigboxcar
  3. phildonahue reblogged this from moneyisnotimportant and added:
    I don’t live in Minnesota, but I did this and ended up with a $727 million surplus. I’m running for office, I swear.
  4. rickywwalker reblogged this from markcoatney
  5. moneyisnotimportant reblogged this from markcoatney
  6. freshmn reblogged this from minnpost and added:
    I love these kinds of things. It’s...good reminder that it’s never as straightforward as...
  7. markcoatney reblogged this from bigboxcar and added:
    I love these calculators. I’m also fascinated by the choices other people make on them—would love to see some kind of...
  8. bigboxcar reblogged this from minnpost and added:
    This turned out really cool. I spent some time with JavaScript to add some functionality to a really well written and...
  9. kaeti reblogged this from minnpost
  10. adambez reblogged this from minnpost and added:
    Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
  11. enemyswim reblogged this from minnpost
  12. minnpost posted this

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