Original Post
July 12, 2011
by Lisa Brainard
A group of around 35 citizens held a "Tax the Rich" rally at the trailhead park in Preston last Saturday to back Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, DFL, as he holds to a state budget plan that would include further taxes on the "rich."
Meanwhile, the state government shutdown continues, speakers noted, as Republican legislators want to use other ways to balance the budget than taxing the rich. Republican leaders say they are not compromising on Dayton's call to put further taxes on the rich.
Fillmore County DFL Chair Dennis DeKeyrel held a tall pole to illustrate how much money the rich make compared to the average person. The pole, around 17 to 18 ft. tall, represented Minnesota Twins baseball player Joe Maurer's salary of $23 million a year.
Laughing, DeKeyrel joked, "Now most of you here make $100,000," at which the crowd also laughed. "That is about 1 inch on this pole."
He continued, "The average income in Houston and Fillmore counties is $34,000, while the average household income is $48,000. That's roughly half an inch on this pole. Joe only pays Social Security taxes on the first $108,000 he earns."
While those present liked their Twins player, it also was apparent they'd like to see him further taxed.
DeKeyrel said he was trying to protect his pocketbook in his front pocket. Referring to the "no new taxes" pledge of the Republicans, he stated, "But they got the money from my back pocket - for property taxes."
He also noted that comments saying the rich pay 70 percent in taxes are incorrect. DeKeyrel encouraged people to look at figures from the Citizens for Tax Justice website. He said the top 1 percent of the wealthy pay 30 percent in taxes - and those taxes include federal, state and local.
Big issues to be resolved
District 30A Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL - Rochester) said, "These are big issues. For the Republicans it seems to be protecting the wealthy at all costs... We are taxing the wrong people... and spending the wrong way... How much is enough? How much (money) do people need?"
Ken Tschumper (DFL - La Crescent) - who is running against incumbent Greg Davids of Preston and defeated him to hold the District 31B seat from 2007-'08 - said the rally was being held by his election committee and the Fillmore County DFL following a comment by Davids that was quoted in the July 4 Star Tribune. Davids had stated in the article that Gov. Dayton had "really broken any trust I had with him..." and the story further quoted Davids as saying people at the Branding Iron in Preston, where he'd eaten a cod fish meal, had told him, "Hang in there... Don't you dare raise my taxes."
Davids is chair of the House Tax Committee. Tschumper and the others present at the rally disagreed with his claim that everyone backs his stand against taxing the rich.
Liebling said, "He's in a powerful position... If he doesn't get his way, he can be a bully. Ask him what he's done. I don't see him doing anything for his own district."
Liebling continued, changing the topic to Gov. Dayton. "He's a good man. He really cares. He doesn't want the rich to pay more because being rich is evil, but because it's fair. He feels the wealthy would be willing to be fair."
She also pointed out Dayton had made seven compromise offers to the Republican-majority-led House and Senate, even in his initial budget. On the other hand, she said the Republicans had offered borrowing as a source of new revenue.
"Shifts, tricks and gimmicks - that's how (former Republican Gov. Tim) Pawlenty balanced the budget... It's as easy to change the tax policy as well as the spending policy," stated Liebling.
Budget aftermath
Tschumper said over 140,000 would go off healthcare with budget compromises. Creating a tax on clothing would just target a higher proportion of taxes to families.
Other speakers also touched on what the middle and lower classes would look like with a budget where the rich are not taxed further.
Robin Yaffe Tschumper, Ken's wife and director of Houston County Women's Resources, said with the government shutdown all staff other than her have been laid off. Her proposed budget would be cut by 35 percent, which is more than one staff person. Serving as volunteers, some staff members are still helping. If their clients need a free meal, they tell them where they can go in La Crosse, since local food shelves only have a few canned goods.
She stated, "Taxes support all of us. When did it become unpatriotic to pay your fair share?"
Yaffe Tschumper said she'd spoken with Davids at his St. Paul office since the shutdown, while at the Capitol for other issues. He said he'd been donating his salary to charity.
"Most don't," she said of the legislators. "But in any case, they only give it to who they want."
Theresa Coleman, who lives in Lanesboro and is the city administrator at Spring Grove, said many young families are feeling the budget crunch. She also noted how cuts to libraries and recreation sources like swimming pools, further hurt families.
Coleman said, "We make our communities tick. If our income tax goes up because others can't pay, cities will suffer."
Sue Ames of La Crescent, a teacher, addressed education cuts saying, "Public education is the most important thing in this country."
Peggy Hanson of Lanesboro, a former opponent for Davids' seat, said kids in foster care are being affected by the budget dilemma. Hanson supports Dayton and urges him not to give in to Republican compromises. "It's a game of political chicken and it's really high stakes," she said.
The rally closed by urging people to contact Gov. Dayton and tell him they believe and support him.
"We need to martial public support for Mark Dayton."