The most recent jobs report from the Kansas Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a loss of 4,000 jobs since December in the state. In addition, the annual growth of jobs in Kansas was a meager 0.9% from January 2015 to January 2016. Republican Governor Sam Brownback is being blamed for the economic decline due to corporate tax cuts he passed in 2012 at the expense of working families.
Here in Minnesota, House Republicans are again proposing tax breaks for corporations, namely a $453.3 million business property tax cut. The choice by the GOP to prioritize big businesses instead of the rest of us could end up leaving Minnesota’s economy in the same state as Kansas.
Governor Dayton’s leadership, and his insistence on taxing the wealthy and closing corporate loopholes, has made our economy stable with a $900 million surplus. Instead of following in Kansas’ footsteps toward economic decline, let’s invest in the future of all Minnesotans, not just big corporations and the wealthy.