Pawlenty Wants Cooperation on Tax Cuts

[Deja Q]

http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/37645399.html

In his State of the State address at the Capitol in St. Paul, Pawlenty focused on job growth and improving the state's business climate as a remedy for budget woes: He proposed a cut in the state's business tax rate from 9.8 percent to 4.8 percent over the next six years; a $50 million package of tax credits that he said could generate more than $100 million in new investments; and a 100 percent exemption from sales tax to encourage business to buy new equipment.

"In 2009, it costs too much for employers to create and keep jobs in this state," Pawlenty said in prepared remarks released before the address. "If we want to build up employment, we need to bring those costs down."

Job creation has already occupied a large portion of the rhetoric as the 2009 legislative session gets underway. But Pawlenty is likely to face criticism about proposals that could be seen as increasing loopholes for businesses rather than closing them. Even as he touted one of his premier job-creation programs, JOBZ, legislators stand ready to challenge its effectiveness and to question the confirmation of Pawlenty's commissioner overseeing the program.

:popcorn:


Read the 120+ comments. A few of seem to make far more coherent sense than the governor's quote about costing too much for employers to keep jobs here. (Doesn't he realize that the US economy might just collapse if this same trend continues? Or what is everybody else not realizing?)

[qb]

1. What a jackass - taxes aren't the problem - crumbling infrastructure is.

And he's not trying to save our state - he's trying to salvage his political future.

:mad:

[CatholicEdHead]

5. It's Grover Norquist on a local level

Drown the government in a bathtub of debt to kill off/sell off public services. Things are not pretty but if we end up as South Dakota there is not much hope for the state in coming decades.

:hi: to Jason Lewis' producers, plug us anytime :evilgrin:

[dflprincess]

2. I remember years ago after Al Quie gave his state of the state address

and then Senate Marjority Leader, Nick Coleman Sr., was asked what he thought and would the DFL go along with it. Coleman said "We'll be happy to cooperate with the governor - just as soon as he comes to his senses."

Any word on how the current DFL leadership reacted?

[Deja Q]

4. I've not read a thing from DFL leadership yet, but it's amusing to note the tone of the source

article, in that the governor has dropped the toughie talk and now wants to cooperate.

[dflprincess]

7. Tim's idea of cooperation is that everyone should agree with him

A couple weeks ago I heard on Tom Hartmann's show that, even though it's counter-intuitive, raising business taxes actually can be a greater stimilus. One reason being that the companies will start looking for more ways to avoid taxes so one thing they do is put more money into R&D which can result not only in new or improved products, but more jobs.

[Deja Q]

8. Of course, how many Americans will be qualified for that?

:(

[geardaddy]

3. Why do I do it?

Reading the comments of conservative commentators in Strib stories.

:puke:

[dflprincess]

6. I do it sometimes as well

- what's worse, there are times I can't resist responding - that's really an exercise in futility.

[eyepaddle]

9. I have forgotten my password--and I deliberately don't look find it.

tacklebeery and RipAnderson--what a pair of tools.

[geardaddy]

10. Yeah.

Whoever that guy (gal) was who said Timmy the Tool was the bestest governor ever.

:puke:

[Deja Q]

11. Tools without a bolt for their nuts.