Sunday, June 03, 2007
Weep For Mayor Chris Coleman;
St. Paul Denied Welfare
St. Paul Mayor, DemocRAT Chris Coleman is having hissy fits these days. He's angry because Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty Hatch vetoed a tax increase bill that would have give aid to local governments and cities; cities like St. Paul. The veto left St. Paul with a projected $15 million shorfall. Awwwwww, isn't it sad? Do you have a box of kleenex nearby to dab your tears - the tears you're undoubtedly shedding for Chris Coleman?
Here's an idea for you, Mr. Coleman, try cutting spending. Oh god, someone call 911, Coleman just collapsed on the floor from that suggestion.
St. Paul used to be a ghost town ten-plus years ago. When the businesses located in St. Paul ended their workday at 5 or 6PM, tumbleweeds rolled across the roads until the following workday began.
With former St. Paul Mayor - now Minnesota U.S. Senator Norm Coleman (no relation to Chris Coleman) - leading the way in bringing the NHL's Minnesota Wild to St. Paul, life and nightlife perked up. Randy Kelly - a Democrat - the St. Paul Mayor after Norm Coleman but before Chris Coleman, continued good, civic city policy, giving life to the city of St. Paul. Kelly lost his re-election bid to Chris Coleman, and Chris Coleman has brought St. Paul back to the Dark Ages, the ages of tumbleweeds and empty bars and restaurants; empty retail shops and empty office buildings.
Chris Coleman and the St. Paul City Council, in order to fund all their special projects, raised the city tax. St. Paul residents have seen their property taxes increase, as well as increased taxes for companies and businesses. Some St. Paul school districts put property tax increases to the voters who voted to approve the increases. Who wants to live, work or run their business in this type of environment?
"Buying down property taxes through local government aid programs has never proven to be a long-term solution to property tax pressures," wrote Gov. Pawlenty in the tax bill veto letter. For all the barbs I've aimed at Pawlenty and for all the many reason I didn't support or vote for his re-election, he's right on this issue. And, as the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports, Pawlenty suggests that if the state is going to buy down property tax relief, the money should go directly to the homeowner and not the city. Coleman doesn't like this idea, he wants the city acting as a "broker" - receiving the money and then doling out whatever amount, if any, back to the homeowner. Joe Stalin would be proud of you, Chris Coleman.
Coleman and his Merry Band of Little Socialists - the St. Paul City Council - has brought the social and economic fabric of a great city back to the days of the horse and buggy. And tumbleweeds. One would almost think that Coleman and St. Paul is competing against the city of Minneapolis and its Mayor R.T. Rybak and his Merry Band of Little Socialists to see who can out-tax the other. But Minneapolis still has a fairly decent business base and social/nightlife scene.
One remedy St. Paul "leaders" (heh - "leaders"...) is considering is raising property taxes...again. Yep, keep raising those property taxes and the city sales tax. And then wonder why St. Paul is a ghost town and scratch your heads asking yourselves, "why are so many people moving out to the suburbs?" Uh-huh, it sure is a mystery. A quagmirian mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma, it is.
I don't live within the city limits of St. Paul so their problems, all created by the current group of Little Eichmanns, doesn't directly affect me. But hey, St. Paul residents, keep electing and re-electing people like City Councilman Dave Thune - who's been on the council so long his body is petrified and mummified - and folks like Chris Coleman.
You get the government you vote for and elect to office. Doesn't it make you long for the days of when Randy Kelly was the mayor?
©2007
Sources:
Minnesota City Officials Squirm Over Tax Bill Veto; Minnesota Pubic Radio
Pawlenty Willing To Listen To Talk of Special Session; Twin Cities.com (aka St. Paul Pioneer Press)
Here's an idea for you, Mr. Coleman, try cutting spending. Oh god, someone call 911, Coleman just collapsed on the floor from that suggestion.
St. Paul used to be a ghost town ten-plus years ago. When the businesses located in St. Paul ended their workday at 5 or 6PM, tumbleweeds rolled across the roads until the following workday began.
With former St. Paul Mayor - now Minnesota U.S. Senator Norm Coleman (no relation to Chris Coleman) - leading the way in bringing the NHL's Minnesota Wild to St. Paul, life and nightlife perked up. Randy Kelly - a Democrat - the St. Paul Mayor after Norm Coleman but before Chris Coleman, continued good, civic city policy, giving life to the city of St. Paul. Kelly lost his re-election bid to Chris Coleman, and Chris Coleman has brought St. Paul back to the Dark Ages, the ages of tumbleweeds and empty bars and restaurants; empty retail shops and empty office buildings.
Chris Coleman and the St. Paul City Council, in order to fund all their special projects, raised the city tax. St. Paul residents have seen their property taxes increase, as well as increased taxes for companies and businesses. Some St. Paul school districts put property tax increases to the voters who voted to approve the increases. Who wants to live, work or run their business in this type of environment?
"Buying down property taxes through local government aid programs has never proven to be a long-term solution to property tax pressures," wrote Gov. Pawlenty in the tax bill veto letter. For all the barbs I've aimed at Pawlenty and for all the many reason I didn't support or vote for his re-election, he's right on this issue. And, as the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports, Pawlenty suggests that if the state is going to buy down property tax relief, the money should go directly to the homeowner and not the city. Coleman doesn't like this idea, he wants the city acting as a "broker" - receiving the money and then doling out whatever amount, if any, back to the homeowner. Joe Stalin would be proud of you, Chris Coleman.
Coleman and his Merry Band of Little Socialists - the St. Paul City Council - has brought the social and economic fabric of a great city back to the days of the horse and buggy. And tumbleweeds. One would almost think that Coleman and St. Paul is competing against the city of Minneapolis and its Mayor R.T. Rybak and his Merry Band of Little Socialists to see who can out-tax the other. But Minneapolis still has a fairly decent business base and social/nightlife scene.
One remedy St. Paul "leaders" (heh - "leaders"...) is considering is raising property taxes...again. Yep, keep raising those property taxes and the city sales tax. And then wonder why St. Paul is a ghost town and scratch your heads asking yourselves, "why are so many people moving out to the suburbs?" Uh-huh, it sure is a mystery. A quagmirian mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma, it is.
I don't live within the city limits of St. Paul so their problems, all created by the current group of Little Eichmanns, doesn't directly affect me. But hey, St. Paul residents, keep electing and re-electing people like City Councilman Dave Thune - who's been on the council so long his body is petrified and mummified - and folks like Chris Coleman.
You get the government you vote for and elect to office. Doesn't it make you long for the days of when Randy Kelly was the mayor?
©2007
Sources:
Minnesota City Officials Squirm Over Tax Bill Veto; Minnesota Pubic Radio
Pawlenty Willing To Listen To Talk of Special Session; Twin Cities.com (aka St. Paul Pioneer Press)
Labels: Thune
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