Dane Smith and I were invited to make the case for paying higher taxes, and we did — at least at op/ed page length.
What's good for General Mills usually is good for Minnesota. And despite the state's gigantic revenue shortage, some proposals at the Capitol to give further tax cuts and credits to businesses deserve a serious look.
But the assumption that more tax cuts are the only way to strengthen the state's economy is just plain wrong. It misses the truth on the flip side: What's good for the public also is vital for business in the long run.
I honestly don't expect to convince anyone with an opinion piece. I think most Strib readers have made their minds up already. They either believe that taxes are a form of armed robbery and that I and every liberal want to be on the other end of the gun, or they are appalled at what has been wrought — and is yet to come — after seven years of No New Taxes and Gov. Pawlenty's warmup laps for his presidential run.
The best I can hope for is that some of the latter people will talk to their elected representatives and give them the courage to do what is right for Minnesota now and in the long run.
We were also told not to spend a lot ink showing how reasonable we are or how badly certain people will suffer from cuts in government services.
But we are reasonable, I think. We know cuts must be be made in spending. We have advocated for years on behalf of reforms that will make government more efficient and make it easier to kill sacred cows that aren't working — and not just those sponsored by the other party. We think it's vital to have a business-friendly state, but subsidies and tax cuts aren't the best way to do it.
The real, hard work has to be done with specific proposals put before the legislature for raising revenue and cutting spending. We can't do it with nice generalities and blanket tax hikes or across the board cuts. And we can't do it without looking at the structural budget imbalance and addressing that instead of kicking the can down road for another year.
Tim Pawlenty has been a huge disappointment as governor, and it will only get worse. The DFL and GOP members of the legislature are the ones who will have to suck it up and stand up for their state. Pawlenty is only going to treat Minnesota as a float in his presidential parade.
And that means we have to suck it up, too. There's going to be pain ahead, and we have to act like big boys and girls as it comes.
I wish I could be optimistic about having more company when the time comes.
