If Terry Bonoff decides to run for the 3rd District Congressional seat again let's all remember

[dflprincess]

this from her "end of session" recap - she pretty much throws everyone but herself under the bus

http://www.terribonoff.com/node/64

...I was not in favor of a fourth tier tax bracket. I believed it put an undue burden on small business and in the midst of a recession was the wrong approach. I made my views known loudly and wrote about my thoughts often. I advocated for compromise and suggested additional ways to obtain revenue. I proposed a tax on clothing with a low-income offset. Some were supportive, yet this was never discussed publicly. I have opposed gambling yet told my colleagues that in the spirit of compromise I would be open to exploring a Racino. At the end of the day, the only revenue increase I was able to vote on was the proposal I favored least. Yet I voted for compromise, funding our schools and not cutting health services for those who need it most. It is time to demand that kind of compromise from each of our elected officials. None of us has the magic solution. If we squander the opportunity of the federal stimulus infusion and do not enact meaningful tax, business and spending reform, then we are abdicating the responsibility we have to the people of Minnesota. It is never too late to act. Please demand excellence and results from those you elect as your leaders.

I realize she represents Minnetonka which probably has a fair number of people who would have landed in the fourth tax tier - but a tax on clothes? We all know how realistic the government is when means testing is involved so I'm not real impressed with her "low income offset" and I'm not so sure the middle class can stand any more regressive taxes. She says she could also live with a racino - apparently she'll support any regressive tax or revenue scheme as long as it helps keep the wealthy from paying their fair share to keep the state going.

I wasn't impressed with Bonoff when she was running last year, this has not helped my opinion of her because I "demand excellence and results from those I elect as my leaders." :evilgrin: (I may memorize those words so if I get a call looking to support her I can use them as the reason I won't.)

[Eric J in MN]

1. If Minnesota were to tax some clothing....

...it would be more straightforward to limit the tax to items which cost over $200, than to apply it to all clothing (as she suggests) and hope that poor people apply for a rebate when they do their income taxes.

Under her plan, middle class people who don't buy expensive clothes would have to pay more in sales taxes.

[dflprincess]

2. If Minnesota was to start taxing clothes your suggestion would be a more reasonable way

(though Pawlenty would probably veto it as it would tax the wealthy more).

The no tax on clothes does draw some tourists to the Mall of America - where they wind up also buying taxable goods and services while in Minnesota. While Bonoff worries about businesses being hurt by a 4th tier in the income tax she's ignoring the business that might be hurt more by an expansion of the sales tax.

[CatholicEdHead]

3. Is Madia thinking of running again in the 3rd?

[dflprincess]

4. I don't know.

I've only heard speculation that he is, but nothing reliable.

I sometimes think we should have gone with Jim Hovland in the 3rd district race last year. He might be a former Republican (so was Madia) but I think he might be more liberal than Bonhoff and maybe even more so than Madia - he just didn't come off all that well at early candidate forums. I was surprised how poorly Bonhoff did at those - it was pretty obvious that she thought she deserved the endorsement and was put out that anyone dared challenge her.

[MnFats]

6. How about Karla Bonoff?

just being silly....it's the medications.

[annm4peace]

5. she Sponsored the Divest from Iran Bill

Shame on Terry Bonoff !

we have to be very careful when sending negative foreign policy messages if we want world peace.

The war on Iraq started with hostile rhetoric. Israel’s new government is even more right-wing and pro-war than the previous one, and pro-Israel lobby groups in the U.S. (AIPAC) and Minnesota (JCRC) blindly support whatever Israel wants to do. Information from the State of Minnesota’s lobby disclosure report that JCRC spent almost a half million dollars in the last five years lobbying Minnesota legislators. Terry Bonoff’s press release announcing her sponsorship of the Divest from Iran bill mentioned the support and endorsement of JCRC.


Another point I think the voters should consider is the safety of the MN National Guard troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Contrary to the testimony that John Radsan gave in the Senate Finance Committee (he claimed without any concrete proof that Iran was meddling in Iraq and Afghanistan) it is in Iran’s best interest for stable neighbors. Minnesota troops will be safer with a more stable Iraq and Afghanistan.

Also, sanctions and divestments aren’t hurting Iran’s economy because when Western companies leave, Asian companies, especially Chinese, are eager to take their place.