Study: Hard Decisions, Not Tax Increases, Needed for Pittsburgh Public Transit

The relatively high cost of Pittsburgh’s bus and light-rail operations means that, in the near future, Allegheny County officials must choose between raising taxes to fund it or find a way to cut costs.

So argues the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy’s Research Director Eric Montarti and research assistant Scott T. Cross in a policy brief advocating for “hard decisions” to be made instead of raising county taxes and fees.

Read the full story

Arizona Free Enterprise Club Endorses Proposition 132 So Arizonans Can ‘Protect Their Wallets’

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AFEC) shared its full support for prop 132, which is set to appear on the November ballot and would require a 60 percent majority vote of the people on any ballot measure that seeks to raise taxes.

“Today’s tax increase may not affect you, but tomorrow’s most certainly will. Allowing 51% of the population (who probably don’t have to pay the tax increase) to vote to tax the other 49% that do have to pay it, is wrong. And eventually, you will be in the minority,” said AFEC President Scot Mussi.

Read the full story

Paul Gosar Slams New Democrat Inflation Reduction Act as ‘More Wasteful Spending’

Arizona Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04) last week blasted the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, a revival of President Joe Biden’s (D) “Build Back Better” (BBB) economic bill, saying the contents of the bill will not accomplish what the title promotes.
“Families can’t afford gas and groceries, yet democrats want to raise taxes and spends billions more of your hard-earned money. Instead of addressing the root cause of the recession: out-of-control government spending, Joe Biden and democrats are now doubling down on their Far-Left Socialist policies that put us into this inflationary death spiral,” Gosar said.

Read the full story

Minnesota Senators Pass Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund Bill

Eric Pratt of Minnesota

A bill to repay Minnesota’s federal Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund passed the Senate Monday and it will now travel to the House for consideration.

The bill, SF 2677, appropriates $2.3 billion from the state fiscal recovery federal fund and $408.5 million from the fiscal year 2022 general fund to the commissioner of employment and economic development. 

The commissioner would repay the federal government outstanding loans and accrued interest within 10 days of the bill’s enactment. For the 2022 and 2023 calendar years, the base tax rate would be one-tenth of one percent.

Read the full story

Minnesota Dept. of Revenue: Walz Tax Proposals Would Hurt the Poor Most

Gov. Tim Walz

  A new analysis from Gov. Tim Walz’s own Department of Revenue shows that his tax proposals would hurt the poorest Minnesotans the most. The Tax Research Division of the Minnesota Department of Revenue released its tax incidence analysis Tuesday, and looked at the combined changes that would be made under Walz’s tax, transportation, and health and human services bills. Overall, the report found that the combined increase in tax collections under Walz’s budget proposal is estimated to be $2.372 billion in 2021, of which $2.104 billion is “borne by Minnesota residents.” The average increase in total taxes paid would be 6.52 percent, though the increases would be higher for the bottom five income brackets than the top five. Specifically, the analysis shows that the lowest income bracket would see an 8.5 percent increase in tax burdens while the highest income bracket would see a 4.3 percent increase. Looked at a different way, Minnesotans’ state and local tax burden would increase by an average of 0.76 percent of income. The report, however, states that “the increased tax burden is largest for the lowest deciles and declines at higher income ranges.” The tax burden for the top one percent of earners…

Read the full story