New sales tax.

[MNDEM2004]

I heard on the radio yesterday that our state may allow cities to add a city wide sales tax over and above the state sales tax. Anyone heard of this?

[dflprincess]

1. Isn't Minneapolis already doing this?

n/t

[MNDEM2004]

2. Yes it's true.

However it is used to fund stadiums.

[no name no slogan]

8. I believe Mpls has two sales taxes

There's one they charge throughout the city, and then there's an additional ±3% charged downtown to pay for the Convention Center. Overall, you end up paying 10% extra on just about anything downtown.

[KitchenWitch]

3. I had not heard this, yet

However, most of the state aid to communities has disappeared during the Pawlenty years, to the point that some communities run out of snowplow money long before the snow is gone. I can see where communities may be forced to do this type of "fundraising".

[CatholicEdHead]

4. It makes sense

given the cuts you mentioned. Expect the taxpayer's league to push hard against this (their automatic tax-raising referendum idea they have floated around).

[KitchenWitch]

5. yeah

Now I dislike taxes as much as most people, but I also see that our tax money goes to pay for services, such as snow removal, law enforcement, and public education. It seems to me the Taxpayer's League wants to abolish all taxes, and thus all services.

[MNDEM2004]

6. I agree

However it could hurt cities as well. Just think, we could have a different sales tax in every city. This could cause people to shop in cities where the taxes are lower.

[dpbrown]

7. This is a nonissue, since cities and counties already have their own

St. Paul has a city tax, Minneapolis has a city tax.

Other cities have them, too.

It's a symptom of Pawlenty's cynical ploy to push the taxes down to a lower level to make himself look good.

Plenty of people shop in those places.

Next.