Get ready to pay more for gas and goods: tax hikes hit Wednesday

Minnesotans will get nipped by two tax increases beginning Wednesday - a three-eighths of 1 percent boost in the sales tax and a 1.6 cents per gallon gasoline surcharge.

[Vern]

Its wonderful to know that the legislature spent their time passing a child restraint law while they shirked their duties to pass a spending bill that the governor could either sign or they could override his veto. Wouldn't it be nice if they actually had backbone to handle the tough jobs?

[linokid]

I think we should all should hand our pay checks over to the government on Fridays, and make it simple. Why do I hate government?

[Former Landscaper]

They already passes tax increases, yet they couldn't come up with a budget that would still stay within their means.

[D Schoppe]

"Three and one-half cents of that gas tax increase will be surcharges that end when the state pays off $1.8 billion in trunk highway bonds it is using to repair and replace dangerous bridges and fix deteriorating highways." LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LMAO

The day any tax increase/surcharge/fee ever "ends" will be the day Satan's world freezes over! Case in point...how about the little extra we were paying in Mpls for the Dome that was supposed to "end" when the bonds were paid off. The city is in the process of building new stadiums and we're still paying for the old one.

Anyone besides me curious about where that money is going now if not to the Dome or the new stadium?!?

[Mad Dog Gus]

The Minnesota Lottery funds are designated for wildlife and protection natural resources....but the voting citizens of Minnesota said yes to the tax increase to support the same and add it the arts.

The voters have only themselves to blame for being ignorant....

[Debbie]

It's funny, they had one of those dfl clowns on TV yesterday that said we wouldn't notice any difference in anything that this tax is for. But believe them it will be there.

WHEN ARE THE PEOPLE OF MN GOING TO WAKE UP AND VOTE EVERY ONE OF THESE MONEY HUNGRY TAX AND SPEND IDIOTS OF OFFICE. THEY ARE GOOD FOR NOTHING OTHER THAN CONTINUALLY DRAING YOUR WALLETS AND WANTING TO GET RE-ELECTED WHILE DOING SO.

[America RIP]

Just a matter of time before this once great republic known as America will no longer exist, based on the way the politicians are so eager to satisfy the whims and wishes of special interest and lobbyists groups alike.

[concerned]

Mad Dog Gus wrote:

The Minnesota Lottery funds are designated for wildlife and protection natural resources....but the voting citizens of Minnesota said yes to the tax increase to support the same and add it the arts.
The voters have only themselves to blame for being ignorant....

You are absolutely correct. The liberals who wanted this artsy fartsy thing passed did not care what was attached to it.

[Met]

The majority of Minnesotans approved the amendment's increased taxes, yet the Republicans are still stubbornly opposing it. Makes you wonder who they really represent.

[Eithan]

Ahhh I love this state and its ignorant voters.

[Truth]

Scumbag democrats always want their hands on your money. 2010 can not come soon enough for this country and the great state of MN.

[Dick In Dixie]

Did some of you even bother to read the frickin' article? Second paragraph of the article reads:

"Voters approved the sales tax increase in November when they passed a constitutional amendment to raise money for outdoors habitat, clean water, parks, trails and the arts."

If any of you voted yes on this amendment last November, you only have yourselves to thank. Mad Dog Gus was absolutely correct when stating the Minnesota State Lottery funds are already designated for wildlife and natural habitats. It was the idiot citizens that were duped into believing that nature needed more funding when it was more of a cover to give more money to arts. Kudos those of you that voted for this boondoggle. You have only yourself to blame, because that is who I blame.

The rest of you, the politicians did NOT increase these taxes. The idiot voters of Minnesota did!

[John H]

How the vast majority of people fell for this help the wildlife and help arts crap is unbelieveable. The majority of people think the gvernment is set up to run any program effeciently.............name me two programs they run with any success. For those that want to support these programs and I certainly do. I prefer to write my check directly to organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, Pheasant Forever. These groups have a track record of success with minimal overhead cost.

[Mad Dog Gus]

Met wrote:

The majority of Minnesotans approved the amendment's increased taxes, yet the Republicans are still stubbornly opposing it. Makes you wonder who they really represent.

The wording on the increased sales tax amendment was cleverly disguised as "save Minnesota's water"...the uneducated voting majority simply voted "yes"! If it had been correctly labeled as "a duplication of fees already collected through the state lottery, but we need to save Minnesota Arts", even the uninformed idiots would have realized that it was in support of some useless program and the funds would be funneled to some useless cause.

Political affiliation would not have mattered...liberals, conservatives, and anything in the middle would have voted "NO"!

[Duluth]

Has the state's highest sales tax and the nation's worst roads. It's time for some sort of audit to see how all that money is being used (wasted?).

[no community]

linokid wrote:

I think we should all should hand our pay checks over to the government on Fridays, and make it simple. Why do I hate government?

Why you hate government:
Because you are willing to personally take care of the public infrastructure.
Because you will take care of the defense and service of this country.
But my guess is it's because of your selfishness, greed and distain for the common good of your fellow man.

[Get A Real Job]

If your art consist of gluing bottle caps to a gunny sack and you can't may a living go get a real job. Maybe stop with the acid trips and think about a hair cut also.

[to hard]

Mad Dog Gus wrote:

The Minnesota Lottery funds are designated for wildlife and protection natural resources....but the voting citizens of Minnesota said yes to the tax increase to support the same and add it the arts.
The voters have only themselves to blame for being ignorant....

I agree with you there, I voted no....but all the bleeding hearts that scream "save the water" "we need clean water" which we do...but the way they advertised that amendment -(which will never go away) now we will be funding the arts - of which I don't really partake in.....people are stupid lemmings - follow me, trust me, I will take care of you....laughable.

[Chris Mankey]

Debbie wrote:

It's funny, they had one of those dfl clowns on TV yesterday that said we wouldn't notice any difference in anything that this tax is for. But believe them it will be there.

You'll certainly notice it when you buy some big-ticket item, like a car. Oh wait....nobody buys cars anymore.

[to hard]

Mad Dog Gus wrote:

<quoted text>
The wording on the increased sales tax amendment was cleverly disguised as "save Minnesota's water"...the uneducated voting majority simply voted "yes"! If it had been correctly labeled as "a duplication of fees already collected through the state lottery, but we need to save Minnesota Arts", even the uninformed idiots would have realized that it was in support of some useless program and the funds would be funneled to some useless cause.
Political affiliation would not have mattered...liberals, conservatives, and anything in the middle would have voted "NO"!

Yep the way it was advertised, led a person to believe that our waters were poluted and they needed this tax......then you hear really fast the other designations, I would try to tell people before the vote and they were all only concerned about the polluted water....stupid people.