Tom Bakk: sales tax on clothes

[ISUGRADIA]

Bakk has proposed taxing clothes in Minnesota which they are not now. Any tax increases are DOA with this governor who has to appeal to the anti-tax absolutusts in 2012. Whay not propose an income tax increas like Dayton?

Income Tax: Progressive. Sales Tax: Regressive.

[Morning Dew]

1. I think he wants the Vikes to feed on public money for a stadium as well.

Yeah, I'm not much interested in Tom's bid for Governor.

[ISUGRADIA]

3. Plus he loves the nukes

I think anything that results in union jobs he's in favor of, safety issues or corporate welfare concerns be damned. Leads to lack of environmental concern too.

[Minnesota Raindog]

10. You got that right, Isugradia

Bakk has always backed public subsidies for megaprojects like power plants (nukes included), the Megamall, sports stadii. He's also the one responsible for letting ATVs run roughshod over our state lands. If he were in office when the BWCA battle was being fought, he would have opposed that too. A Governor Bakk would be an environmental disaster for Minnesota. Fortunately, I don't think his candidacy is going anywhere. If we get an Iron Range nominee, it will be Rukavina (but he's another discussion).

[dflprincess]

2. I heard him claim that this is not regressive because the more money someone has

the more they spend on clothes.

I can't imagine that this would play well in his district.

[ISUGRADIA]

4. Interesting reasoning yet he should know any tax that

is imposed from the first cent is regressive. If he had proposed a tax starting at, let's say, items $50 or up I'd have some sympathy. That would hit a more well-heeled suit wearing crowd and not the poor.

[becxx]

5. Bakk's gubernatorial bid is DOA

His tax on clothing, regressive as it is, is one reason his candidacy is DOA. He and Klobuchar are twins in many respects. But Klobuchar is even worse than Bakk.

By the way, I support a tax increase on the rich AND on soft drinks and fast food. The fast food tax might be too hard to do, however. The health care costs associated with soft drinks and fast foods are sky high.

[DFLforever]

6. I don't think it's a bad idea

but I doubt the DFL has the nerve to impose one. Maybe faced with huge spending cuts and a new governor, they will consider it.

I've been told that Dayton's is the reason MN does not have a tax on clothing. I don't know if other retailers have the clout Dayton's once had to keep it off indefinitely. According to their reasoning, THEY are the ones who pay the tax.

[dflprincess]

7. The Mall of America fights it now

one thing that attracts visitors from out of state to it is the no sales tax on clothes - but all those visitors do pump money into the local economy and pay taxes on other things they buy here.

I think the DFL can do better than apply one of the more regressive taxes to a necessity. They should raise the income tax

[DFLforever]

8. I'm all for raising income taxes for the uppper tax .bracket.

I think our middle tax bracket has been too high.

But I think the state has serious problems ahead of it and should consider multiple sources of income. They don't have a billion or so of stimulus money to factor into our next budget.

[Morning Dew]

9. A gazillion families in Western Wisconsin come to MN

in late summer for school clothes.

We did it every year when I was growing up back in the stone age1960s.

My sister still drives over for back to school clothes for her kids.