Do you know there’s an
$11 BILLION TAX INCREASE
on the ballot November 4th?
Why is there a tax increase on the ballot?
The only way the special interest groups that want this tax increase can be sure the
$11 billion is spent only on their pet projects is to pass a constitutional tax increase.
But it’s only a 3/8 of a cent sales tax increase.
That’s not much, right?
It doesn’t sounds like much, but 3/8 of a percent on top of one of the highest sales tax rates in the
country (6.5%) is projected to increase tax revenue by over $275 million per year. Over 25 years
that’s over $11 billion total.
Why is the Constitution being amended to increase taxes?
The tax increase on the ballot didn’t start out as a tax increase at all. Initially the idea was to dedicate
a portion of the existing sales tax to environmental conservation programs only. But that plan
proved unpopular with liberal legislators who didn’t want to divert current sales tax revenue to
rural environmental programs. So instead they are asking voters to increase the state’s sales tax by
an additional 3/8 of a percent and direct billions of dollars to arts and cultural heritage.
How is the additional billions of dollars going to be spent?
While being promoted as more money to protect and enhance outdoor recreation, ten’s of millions
of dollars every year will be spent on the arts and entertainment.
If the tax increase passes, funding for arts and cultural
heritage will increase by over $2 billion.
Don’t we already spend millions of
dollars each year on these programs?
The simple answer is YES! Each year the state and
local governments spend hundreds of millions of
taxpayer dollars to fund everything from wild life
habitat to the Guthrie Theatre, from local parks, to
the Como Zoo. The government doesn't need to
spend another $11 billion.
www.taxpayersleague.org

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous; or Tax the Poor to Benefit the Rich! PDF Print E-mail
Press Releases
Tuesday, 16 September 2008 14:13

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Brad Biers

Ph: (651)261-2182

ST. PAUL – The Vote Yes Minnesota for an $11 Billion sales tax increase campaign recently released their fundraising numbers through the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. The Vote Yes campaign raised $2,386,228.04 while having spent $546,746.69 on the tax increase campaign. The list of donors is a who’s who of the rich and famous from Minnesota along with the many special interest organizations that might look to profit from the proposed sales tax increase.

“It is interesting that so many multi-millionaires want to bilk the hardworking taxpayers of Minnesota for extras that are already being funded by millions of dollars through the MinnesotaDNR budget, the Lottery, LCCMR, and local units of government,” said Rod Grams, chairman of the No Constitutional Tax Increase campaign. “In a time when most middle class Minnesotans are looking to tighten their family budgets due to increased food and gas costs, these folks say let’s add more to their tax burden and that’s just wrong.”

Included in the donations is a $1 million dollar donation from Alida Messinger, a Rockefeller family member and ex-wife of former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton; $470,000 total from ten members of the Dayton family; $100,000 from Ralph and Peggy Burnett of Coldwell Banker Burnett Realty; and not surprisingly, $25,000 from John and Sage Cowles, the family that use to own the Star Tribune newspaper, $25,000 from Jim Pohlad and $20,000 from Mary Pohlad, the same Pohlad family that owns the Minnesota Twins and recently benefited from a taxpayer funded stadium.

Some of the companies and non-profits included in the donations are: $10,000 from Adolfson & Peterson Construction; $25,000 from the Conservation Campaign located in Boston Massachusetts; $38,866.64 in cash and in-kind contributions from Conservation Minnesota; $25,000 from the Freshwater Foundation; $8,000 from the Friends of Minnesota Public Television; $8,872 from the Guthrie Theatre; $25,000 from the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, $31,953.82 from the Minnesota Environmental Partnership; and $10,909 from the Minnesota Orchestra.

“You have to question the motives of the individuals and groups donating to a cause that wants to create a special interest slush fund,” said Phil Krinkie, President of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota. “Are they looking to use this money for their hobbies and are the groups donating hoping to leverage a huge chunk of the $11 billion tax increase for their special interest projects?”

For more information go to www.nosalestaxincrease.org

Ha ha! the Pohlads donate to the vote yes campaign to raise MN taxes. Figures!!

If you’re sick of paying more and more taxes, join us in telling the liberal tax-and-spenders “enough is enough!” The “No Constitutional Tax Increase”
campaign has kicked off and will fight this $11 billion sales tax
increase all the way to Election Day. Here’s how you can help STOP the
tax increase::

1. Lawn Sign: Lawn signs will be ready to pick up at several offices around the state.
   
   \n Email us
   
   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
   
   
   
   with your name and address and we'll make sure you know where to go
   pick one up. Also let us know if you’d like to help distribute lawn
   signs.
   
2. Volunteer: Help us get out the vote by volunteering with our phone banks and by distributing lawn signs.
   
   \n Email us
   
   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
   
   
   with your name, address, and phone number and let us know you’d like to volunteer.
   
3. Spread the Word:
   Click the "print a flyer here" box to the left to be directed to our
   $11 billion tax increase information flyer. Print copies and
   distribute them to family, friends co-workers and neighbors, and tell
   them why you’re voting “NO” November 4^th.
   
4. Donate:
   The truth is campaigns cost money. The Vote Yes campaign isn’t shy
   about how they plan to raise millions of dollars to make sure this
   ballot question passes. If you want to help us pay for lawn signs,
   mailings, radio ads, etc, please donate today. Send a check today to:
   

No Constitutional Tax Increase
PO Box 120444
St. Paul, MN 55112
With your help we can STOP this $11 billion sales tax increase. Sign up to help today!http://www.taxpayersleague.org/

please vote no on the tax increase today, make the politicians do their jobs and allocate funds like they are supposed to.

with 99.8% reporting


Estimated Percent of YES* = 56.06 %

thanks for stealing more of my earnings MN!

maybe we should begin funding the entire budget using constitutional amendments, this is only the beginning