Republicans know that the government needs to harvest a generous amount of money somehow. A regressive tax hits the middle class and poor especially hard.
No wonder why Doug Burgum of North Dakota has spoken out against "Measure 4" in his state. This is a matter to watch with great interest as election day approaches. It should interest us far more than the size of the late golfer Arnold Palmer's genitalia. We weigh the latter topic thanks to the Republican nominee for president.
You can point out all you want that such talk is an abomination in America, a clear disqualification to be president. But here comes Trump again down the same path as in 2016 when all this started. What started was a complete putting aside of America's loose set of norms for how our national leaders should behave. Should a child in school be disciplined for offensive language now? I shouldn't have to cite other examples of DJT's outrageousness.
The examples have been flying at us. Affinity with all things Hitler? Lest there was any doubt, John Kelly is making that clear to us now. So we'll all breathe a sigh of relief now that all of this is in the open, right? We can be relieved knowing all the facts so that most certainly we could never weigh DJT being president again? We'll relax and allow our first female president who will be diligently trying to get full women's rights restored, right?
The women of America have the chance to save our country now.
DJT says if he loses it'll be the Jews' fault. Are there lessons from history on how this mere thought is dangerous? If people don't know this, what kind of job have our schools been doing teaching history? And I say if Trump wins - heaven help us - the Southern states can be blamed with their kneejerk reactionary bent.
Mike Johnson of Louisiana absolutely refuses to concede any argument with Trump. We have too many national leaders from the Southern states, actually from the states of the old Confederacy.
Aside from the national issues we have the fascinating thing of what is going on in North Dakota.
The Dakotas have become ruby red which suggests they're skeptical about taxation to feed alleged "big government." Right? So why is Doug Burgum, the quintessential MAGA guy, saying vote "no" in the attempted property tax revolt. Well I will repeat: the property tax and sales tax are regressive and Republicans aren't so eager to tamp those down. They know as much as anyone that the government needs money. So why not try to get it from the common folk instead of the super wealthy who proclaim the pro-Trump message with a wink to each other?
Soak the common folk? Well why not? Look at the outrageous national debt. I think this is why another inflation shock is ensured down the road. Inflation means the government can collect more in taxes. Somehow government is going to have to at least try to keep up with obligations. To hell with "deflation." Deflation is of course when prices would go down. I personally would like to see prices go down. But that's just me.
Head-scratching, n'est-ce pas?
If you're a homeowner, well then naturally you've seen the assessed value of your home go up. Isn't that good news? Wait a minute, how really do you benefit from that? Skeptics of "Measure 4" would say "well, you can sell your home." Oh, what a nice thought, what an easy and routine thing to do.
Is it OK to just be happy living in our current home? A home where we may have memories of raising children?
No, there's little if any real benefit to having a higher assessed value of your home. You will be paying increased property taxes. I'm reminded of a quote from someone who addressed the great American privilege of "owning your own home." She said "I feel like I'm paying a fee to live here."
Exactly.
Costs for home upkeep escalate. We hesitate longer to arrange for contractors to come and do stuff.
So in North Dakota we may be seeing the seeds of a true "property tax revolt" that will supply relief. Influential forces are against this. Lots of special interests will get interwoven for sure.
Many will say of course that it'll be harder to fund our schools. Well on the surface yes. But, how much largesse is there in school funding now? Take a look at the demands of public sector employees, a class of people with way more advantages than the rest of us. And they have the nerve to cry "foul" so much.
Perfect local example was when we saw the striking picketers with their signs around our UMM campus. I guess that was several years ago. Today we get the impression that UMM is fortunate to even be still functioning. Anyone want to question me on that? I would be astonished if the people who (still) work out there would be so audacious as to consider going on strike. To come at as with their signs in clusters around the campus.
I told my No. 1 UMM contact person that if a strike were to ever happen again, I would never give another nickel to the U of M Foundation.
Right now the people at the public teat garner power for themselves and then push it to the maximum degree. Because the system lets them. Homeowners and the public at large can be drained of more money.
This continues until the public wakes up. And if the public votes accordingly, well then so many public institutions will almost certainly be forced to "make do with less." Amen and hallelujah.
The following paragraphs were originally on my Oct. 9 "Morris of Course" post. That's my companion blog. Thanks for reading. - BW
Keep an eye on ND
In
North Dakota there's a proposal to eliminate the property tax! It's
called "Measure 4." How would y'all like to not get a property tax bill
each year? Oh but the various government entities would have to raise
taxes in other ways? Well, then I say "just make them." Make them feel
some pressure to cut out the largesse. I'd be thrilled to see that.
Let's eliminate all public employee unions like even for schoolteachers. Maybe especially for schoolteachers. I have hated teacher unions more than I have hated anything in my whole life.
Do
we really need public libraries any more? In the digital age where you
can call up anything to read for your enrichment on your "screen?" I
never read anything "on paper" any more. Some people are hesitant to
admit they are like me for fear of being seen as shallow or ignorant.
Hell I'll proclaim from the rooftop. I'll proclaim as someone who
developed most of his literacy from reading comic books, backs of
baseball cards and "Hardy Boys" mysteries.
Library employees are unionized too. A pox on them.
If
Measure 4 passes and government gets its back truly against the wall,
let's see an unrelenting push for eliminating the public employee
unions, teachers first on the list. Is there still a requirement of a
four-year college degree for teachers? Ridiculous. Let's eliminate it.
Teachers have become mostly caretakers now. Am I saying it's an easy
job? Not saying that at all but it's a "job" like any other job. It
should be easier if teachers are not expected to impart knowledge so
much.
I
believe the highest priorities of our public schools today should be
co-curricular like with the school musical and all such stuff. I include
band/choir. Let the kids have fun and feel excitement. Do I really have
to argue this?
Supporting UMM
Of course we simply want our U of M-Morris to survive through whatever adversity comes forth. Donald Trump has chased away our foreign students and these students were our "cash cow." UMM might be imperiled but I think our ace in the hole is the service we provide gratis to the Native Americans.
Remember we're not North Dakota: There is no property tax revolt here yet. North Dakota is being watched oh so closely now. A vote to support "Measure 4" there could lead to a full-fledged property tax revolt across the U.S. I personally wish it would happen. It would put needed pressure on our public institutions to attack the largesse.
And in some cases we'd have to break through legal barriers, like taking away the rights and privileges of unions to "bargain." Hey, we only have 'X' amount of money now, we absolutely have to make it work - we have to. No wiggle room for unions to behave arrogantly as they typically do.
I remember the people with picket signs outside the UMM campus - their little "info tables" etc. Who are these people to try to turn the screws on the State of Minnesota?
The community could be supporting our UMM better. But this community often gets a grade of "F" for such things. We don't even want to be informed about it. We're planning our next trip to "the Cities" or "the lake."
I'm happy to share here an Oct. 19 email from my old newspaper compatriot Randy Olson of Bonanza Valley, a guy with pretty deep interest in UMM. He wants us to appreciate the UMM volleyball team more. I remember working with Sheila Perkins when she was the Cougars' coach. Heather Pennie will tell you I interviewed her a few times too. I watched Heather pitch for Minnewaska Area in softball way back when.
Hello Brian,
Just 50.....FIFTY!! Attending today's UMM vs. Concordia-Moorhead match at Jim Gremmels Court today. Unbelievably bad attendance. Really embarrassing as an alumni.
For what it's worth, at UM-Crookston for D-II volleyball in the NSIC, the Golden Eagles hosted UM-Duluth and had 411 attending.
Last year when UMC was at UMD, their attendance for a mid-October match was 830.
I just can't believe the apathy of the town of Morris for its crown jewel they have at UMM. Later tonight for kicks, I'm going to look into the history of UMM volleyball attendance pre-COVID. I thought they had decent crowds when I brought my daughters up there for volleyball in 2017 and 2018. Then I felt it the trip/expense was worth it.
My how times have changed.
Randy
PS - the Cougars won in a 3-0 sweep vs. their MIAC counterparts.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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