Yesterday, we tweeted about the release of the 2009 Minnesota Tax Incidence Study (PDF), which proves that Minnesota’s tax system has become more regressive and less fair.
The study confirmed that the gap between what the wealthiest Minnesotans pay in taxes and what average Minnesotans pay continues to grow. Basically, lower and middle-income Minnesotans pay 12% of their income in state and local taxes, while folks who make $500,000 or more only pay 9%.
Denise Cardinal, ABM’s Executive Director, sent out the following email asking Minnesotans to call on Governor Pawlenty to make Minnesota’s tax system fair.
It seems backwards, but it’s true in our state. A new report from the State of Minnesota shows that poor and middle class Minnesotans are paying a greater share of their income in taxes and fees than the wealthiest Minnesotans.
That’s right, the poorer citizens are paying more.
Now is the time to make our tax system fair — urge the Governor to support tax fairness:
http://mnrecipeforsuccess.com/FairTaxes
This report demonstrates under Governor Pawlenty’s leadership Minnesota has moved to a tax system that benefits those at the very top of the earning bracket, while everyone else pays the price with higher tax burdens and strained community services – like road repair, public safety and education.
http://mnrecipeforsuccess.com/FairTaxes
According to Minnesota 2020, middle income households in Minnesota (household income from $31,000 to $51,500) paid 12.3 cents of each dollar of income in state and local taxes, while the wealthiest one percent of households (household income above $447,900) paid only 8.9 cents.
But the Governor, so far, has refused to even consider changing our tax system to make it more fair. He’s willing to leave the burden with working families, struggling to make ends meet, instead of asking those in the upper tax brackets to pay the same share as we do.
http://mnrecipeforsuccess.com/FairTaxes
Thanks for all you do,
Denise Cardinal
Alliance for a Better Minnesota
Minnesota’s tax system is broken–and now is the time to fix it. When everyone contributes their fair share, we can keep our schools great and our streets safe. Click here to urge Gov. Pawlenty to support tax fairness.
