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We Can Do Better, Minnesota

Middle class households pay a little over 12 percent in state and local taxes. The wealthiest five percent of households pay 10.1 percent. The poorest families pay the highest rates of all.

July 24, 2011 at 4:18PM

When some Minnesotans said, "No new taxes." What did they mean?

"Take us into un-payable debt."

"Borrow from education in a way that we can never pay back."

"Take action which will downgrade the state's credit rating.

I don't think so.

And when Minnesotans elected a governor who said, "I will increase taxes on those who make more than $2 million every year." What did we mean?

"We really don't want you to raise taxes on the wealthiest."

"We really like the tax system in Minnesota where the higher your income the lower percentage of tax you pay."

"We think that the tax cuts that Jesse Ventura gave to the richest Minnesotans should continue even though they are unfair to the rest of us and plunging us into debt."

I don't think so.

And yet the partisan politicians who vowed to keep the "no new taxes" pledge at any cost have kept this state from being the best we can be. Even worse, they are quicly tumbling us, at best, toward being a mediocre Minnesota.

Taxes themselves may be a subject that doesn't often move the faith community but the way we tax as a state is certainly a moral concern. Is our tax policy fair?

It is not. We are not taxing fairly. Middle class households pay a little over 12 percent in state and local taxes. The wealthiest five percent of households pay 10.1 percent. The poorest families pay the highest rates of all.

We are not taxing fairly and because we do not, we are pushing off onto our children our unpaid bills.

I do not wish to leave a legacy of debt to our children, and I do not believe that a legacy of poverty and underinvestment is the Minnesota we want to be.

As the dust settles and the budget deal is signed we are still being asked to answer a central question about who will we be as a state. Let your legislative representative know how disappointed you are. Let them know that tax increases aren't always bad. That taxes increases done to rebalance fairness is a good idea. Let them know that a tax system built on fairness and justice is a good Minnesota ideal.

Let them know that a few extreme politicians who have been hoodwinked by an invalid "no new taxes" ploy aimed at protecting the wealthiest - let them know- that those representatives do not represent the Minnesota we want to be.

Then go out and ask all your friends to join you. A message must be sent and must be sent now. And the people of Minnesota are the only ones who can turn this around. As a people, we have only pushed off our moment of crisis into our children's future. Join me today in a belief that good stewardship is essential to the health of our communities and our state. It is time for people of faith to step up and say we as Minnesotans can do better.