Doggin’ the rich!  Good idea…

Dayton to Eliminate Surcharge, Restore Promise on Top-Tax Rate; Restore Funding for Seniors’ Long-term Care

And you know how everyone says, “OH, NO… CAN’T DO THAT, the rich will flee the state,” which we all know is a crock.

Tax Fairness Is Simply Fair from Growth & Justice

From the Minnesota Dept. of Revenue:

Minnesota 2011 Tax Incidence Study

Here’s a take on that from the voice of money, the Wall Street Journal:

“This suggests that the policy effect is close to zero,” the study says.

Millionaire Tax Didn’t Chase the Rich From New Jersey, Study Says

By Robert Frank

Anti-tax advocates contend that higher taxes on the wealthy lead to millionaire flight. They say this has been seen in Maryland, Rhode Island, New Jersey and New York. The rich are mobile, they say. They can take their money, taxes and jobs wherever they are treated best.

But a new study focusing on New Jersey provides some of the most detailed evidence yet that so-called millionaire taxes have little effect on the movements of millionaires as a whole.

The study, by sociologists Cristobal Young at Stanford and  Charles Varner at Princeton, studied the migration patterns of New Jersey’s millionaires before and after 2004, when the state imposed a “millionaire’s tax” that raised rates on those earning $500,000 or more to 8.97% from 6.37%.

The study found that the overall population of millionaires increased during the tax period. Some millionaires moved out, of course. But they were more than offset by the creation of new millionaires.

The study dug deeper to figure out whether the millionaires who were moving out did so because of the tax. As a control group, they used New Jersey residents who earned $200,000 to $500,000–in other words, high-earners who weren’t subject to the tax. They found that the rate of out-migration among millionaires was in line with and rate of out-migration of submillionaires.  The tax rate, they concluded, had no measurable impact.

“This suggests that the policy effect is close to zero,” the study says.

Of course, not all millionaires are the same, and some are more likely to leave than others. The study found that New Jersey millionaires over the age of 65 and who live off their investments are the most likely to leave. Among those who earned their money  from investments, the tax raised migration rates by 27 people per thousand among the top 0.1% of earners.

Yet those who own their own businesses or earn their money in New York–groups that account for a large share of millionaires in New Jersey–are less likely to leave.

The study also found that New Jersey millionaire-earners are an ever-changing group, with people constantly moving on and off the top rung of the income ladder. Since there is no permanent top-earning class, the occasional top earners have less incentive to leave because of the tax.

“In summary, the new tax did not appreciably increase out-migration,” the study concluded.

Have you ever moved to avoid higher state taxes?

I’ve seen some bizarre bills over the years, but mandating logging in our state parks here in Southeast Minnesota has got to be one of the worst.  Who put it in?  Rep. Steve Drazkowski… EARTH TO MARS — PULL THE AMENDMENT… what more to say?

House Committee Minutes - p. 1035

Sec. 21. HARVEST OF TIMBER; STATE PARKS.

Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.05, subdivision 2, or any other law to the contrary, the commissioner of natural resources shall assess the black walnut and other timber resources in Frontenac State Park and Whitewater State Park, harvest the black walnut and timber resources suitable for harvest, and deposit the proceeds from the sale into the state parks account in the natural resources fund by June 30, 2013.

From Bluestem Prairie, with a link to a great Op Ed from Mankato Free Press:

Only God can make a tree, but stupid ideas are left for the Draz to introduce

This posting drew this comment from a reader who was there:

I sat in on the House Environment evening
session on March 16.  Some time after Lee
Frelich offered his testimony Drazkowski
went on a little rant about global warming
and invasives.  I recall his remarks as being
"Climate change, SO WHAT.  Invasives, SO WHAT."
My notes probably don't have the wording exact
but his "so whats" were so contemptuous that
they stuck in my memory.  I'm pretty sure the
meeting is recorded so his voice should be
available but I don't know if the camera was on him.

I recall some ancient philosopher's prayer as
being "O Lord, please make my enemies ridiculous."
We've been granted ridiculous enemies.  I just
wish they didn't have the majority in the legislature.

Here’s his contact info - tell him what you think:

651-296-2273  and  507-843-3711

E-mail: rep.steve.drazkowski@house.mn

Next it goes to Ways and Means, so contact all the members, just cut and paste the addresses below:

rep.maryliz.holberg@house.mn

rep.keith.downey@house.mn

rep.lyndon.carlson@house.mn

rep.jim.abeler@house.mn

rep.bruce.anderson@house.mn

rep.sarah.anderson@house.mn

rep.mike.beard@house.mn

rep.kathy.brynaert@house.mn

rep.mark.buesgens@house.mn

rep.bobby.champion@house.mn

rep.tony.cornish@house.mn

rep.greg.davids@house.mn

rep.kent.eken@house.mn

rep.pat.garofalo@house.mn

rep.mindy.greiling@house.mn

rep.bob.gunther@house.mn

rep.tom.hackbarth@house.mn

rep.rod.hamilton@house.mn

rep.frank.hornstein@house.mn

rep.larry.howes@house.mn

rep.thomas.huntley@house.mn

rep.phyllis.kahn@house.mn

rep.mary.kiffmeyer@house.mn

rep.morrie.lanning@house.mn

rep.ann.lenczewski@house.mn

rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn

rep.bud.nornes@house.mn

rep.gene.pelowski@house.mn

rep.tom.rukavina@house.mn

rep.nora.slawik@house.mn

rep.steve.smith@house.mn

rep.jean.wagenius@house.mn

rep.torrey.westrom@house.mn

It’s hard to miss the Tammens — they are EVERYWHERE!!!  Saw them up in Clouqet about a year ago at an IATP Biomass love-fest, and they have been at every meeting and hearing for the Excelsior Energy Mesaba Project.  Good to see they’ve been noticed!!!

Here’s the profile in Session Weekly — thanks to Darrell Gerber for pointing this out:

Soudan snowbirds

Published (3/25/2011)
By Sue Hegarty
You might not notice Bob and Pat Tammen sitting in the House hearing rooms. Bob, clothed in a crisp, pressed dress shirt and necktie, blends in with the lobbyists, deputy commissioners and expert testifiers. Pat sits next to her husband, alert to the day’s agenda.

The Tammens are not on anybody’s political payroll, nor are they required to hear or give testimony about proposed legislation, unlike most in the gallery. Yet there they sit, day after day.

“We’ve seen a couple of committees that have citizens sitting there with equal standing. Sometimes I believe those citizens represent our values better than our elected officials,” Bob said.

On Pat’s 74th birthday, March 22, they were in the House Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee hearing by 8:15 a.m. for 90 minutes of testimony; then again as testimony continued into the evening.

A retired couple from Soudan, the Tammens could spend the long, cold Minnesota winter anywhere. Instead, they pack up their 24-foot camper and drive to St. Paul, where they park in the Sears parking lot across from the State Office Building, so they can be close to all the legislative action.

“We like where we live, and when we talk about the quality of life in Minnesota, Soudan has it,” Bob said.

They begin their mornings with a walk across the street to buy a newspaper and coffee in the State Office Building. After sitting though the morning hearings in the House or Senate, they grab a bowl of soup at the Rathskeller, the State Capitol cafeteria. Afternoons may include more hearings or witnessing a rally in the Capitol Rotunda. In the evenings, they often drive their self-contained Winnebago to a bookstore where they share a sandwich. Pat scours the bookshelves while Bob uses the wireless Internet to check email.

They pay Sears a monthly parking fee of $30. So far, no one has rattled their metal cage, but they do need to watch their step when the snowplow clears the lot. On weekends, they return home to do laundry, open the mail and repack for another week in St. Paul.

In the spirit of full disclosure, they say they are DFLers and lifelong union workers. Pat taught elementary school in the Ely area for 38 years. Bob was an electrician who worked in the mines and did contract electrical work at Xcel’s nuclear power plant in Monticello. They pay dues to nearly every environmental group, but neither has ever held a board seat, they said.

Bob and Pat met after he returned from Vietnam in 1965.

Bob worked for several mining operations and for U.S. Steel, where he became familiar with mining’s residual effect on the environment. “Most of us were pretty nonchalant about what we were doing. There were a few voices in our communities warning us about this, but most of us didn’t listen,” he said.

They don’t always agree with some DFL legislators who say mining brings prosperity to a community.

“Look at Virginia. They are surrounded by taconite mines. You couldn’t squeeze any more mines in there hardly. They’re still losing population,” Bob said.

Pat followed the alternative pathways for teacher licensure debate in the House education committees and believes it will weaken the classroom.

When the legislative session ends, they’ll drive north again and park the camper on

20 acres of undeveloped land they own along 800 feet of shoreline. They’ll drop their canoe in the water and pick up stray fishing bobbers to add them their collection. Enjoying a respite from the Capitol chatter, they’ll hike through the new Lake Vermilion State Park near their house. No doubt, these citizen watchdogs will keep a watchful eye on how taxpayer dollars are being spent to develop the park that’s been called the jewel of the state park system.

Oh there she goes again…

Overland has filed a rulemaking petition with the Office of Administrative Hearings to hopefully address some of the inconsistencies of the rules, and interpretation of the rules, by Administrative Law Judges handling cases for the Public Utilities Commission.

Overland - Petition for Rulemaking - OAH

Why?  Because it is SO hard for people to participate in these dockets, and the rules and the way they’re interpreted make it even harder, and are not in conformance with the Power Plant Siting Act’s requirement to make public participation a priority.

Coming soon - ones covering the issues at PUC and MOES that occur over and over and over and over and over…

How absurd can it get, Faux News is complaining about the “union protests” and bringing in bus loads of people from elsewhere, and look at the video — dig the lack of snow, the palm trees…

Meanwhile, get ready… the Americans for Prosperity are organizing a bus tour (paid for by corporations from where?  And bringing people in from where?)

So bring your palm trees, luau shirts, shorts and flip flops, and let’s greet the bus from… from… where?  Where is that bus from?

Thursday, March 3, 2011

9:00 a.m. Event #1 Kenosha, WI

Brat Shop
12304 75th Street
Hwy 50 & I 94
Kenosha, WI 53142

12:00 p.m. noon Event #2 – Milwaukee, WI

American Serb Hall
5101 W. Oklahoma Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53219

4:30 p.m. Event #3 – Sheboygan, WI

Nino’s Steak House
2724 Kohler Memorial Drive
Sheboygan, WI 53081

Friday, March 4, 2011

7:30 a.m. - Event #1 – Green Bay, WI

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery
2800 S. Oneida St.
Green Bay, WI 54303
*Radio host Jerry Bader to broadcast live from the event

12:30 p.m. Event #2 – Wausau, WI

The Plaza Hotel & Suites
201 N. 17th Ave.
Wausau, WI 54401

4:00 p.m. – Event #2 – Rhinelander WI

Wolff’s Log Cabin Restaurant
721 W. Kemp Street
Rhinelander, WI 54501

Saturday, March 5, 2011

10:30 a.m. Event #1 Eau Claire, WI

Holiday Inn
2703 Craig Rd
Eau Claire, WI 54701

1:30 p.m. – Event #2 – Hudson, WI
Best Western Hudson House
1616 Crest View Drive
Hudson, WI

6:30 p.m. – Event #3 – La Crosse, WI
Radisson Hotel
200 Front St
La Crosse, WI 54601

Sunday, March 6, 2011

12:00 p.m. noon– Madison, WI
TBD