Jan 262006
A nonpartisan Minnesota Senate study found that the state will collect approximately $900 million in fees over the next fiscal biennium. This amount is $893 million more than the state collected in fees in the biennium before Pawlenty took office. Fees cover everything from court filings to fishing licenses to license tabs. In addition, property taxes in many Minnesota communities have risen sharply to compensate for cuts in state aid to local governments. This begs the question of whether Pawlenty’s promise not to raise taxes has created any real savings for Minnesotans. I expect his opponents, whoever they are, to hit him hard on this issue in the upcoming election. And even if Pawlenty does win another term, I wonder how eager he’ll be to sign another no-new-taxes pledge.
