Commentary - Middle class can't afford these taxes

Talk about it

By Representative Mary Franson (R-Alexandria)

On January 22, Governor Dayton released his tax plan to the Legislature. While the governor often speaks about taxing the rich, this plan would hit middle class families in our community the hardest. I know it would certainly affect my family.

After a long week in St. Paul away from my kids, I love spending my Saturday with my family out in the community. My Saturday mornings begin with reading the Alexandria Echo Press at my kitchen table scouring for coupons before my three kids wake up. With Governor Dayton’s tax on publications, Minnesotans would be forced to pay more for a subscription to their morning newspaper. There’s no coupon to cover that cost!

Once I get my kids out of bed and ready for the day, I take them with me to the Caribou Coffee in Alexandria where I meet with constituents. Unfortunately, the price of coffee went up because the governor’s business-to-business tax drove up the cost of goods. I don’t know about you, but paying more for my caffeine puts an early damper on my day.

Now my rambunctious kids are hungry. We stop at one of our favorite pizza places in town – 2 Guys Pizza – for lunch. While looking at the menu, I notice that the price of pizza has gone up because of the governor’s business-to-business tax that taxes regular transactions between businesses like legal services, accounting services, and advertising. After lunch, my stomach is feeling full, but my wallet is feeling empty.

With all the traveling between St. Paul and Alexandria, I’m due for an oil change and tire rotation. I stop at Alexandria Motors because they have affordable prices, but my invoice is higher than normal with a new sales tax. Governor Dayton’s tax on auto services is throwing a wrench into my budget. Should have found a coupon!

Next, it’s time to hit the gym. I send Karl off to basketball lessons and Kahllin off to swimming lessons while I hit the treadmills with my daughter Helena. After a good workout for the family, I stop at the front desk to get my monthly bill and renew my membership. To my shock, I find that keeping my family healthy is going to cost me a lot more with the governor’s tax on personal instruction that taxes Karl’s basketball lessons and Kahllin’s swimming lessons and imposes a tax on gym memberships! The burn to my bank account hurts more than my three-mile run on the treadmill!

Before we can go home, it’s time for haircuts for the family at Garden of Grace in Alexandria. I’m thinking about getting my nails done as well, but with Governor Dayton’s tax on personal services, I can only afford the haircuts. Maybe there will be a coupon in next week’s paper for nails.

Once we all arrive home, it’s time to prepare for the road trip I have planned for the kids in a few weeks and I decide we need some good music for the road I can download to my iPhone and play in the car for the kids. While I’m more of a Taylor Swift fan myself, I download Kidz Bop 23 for my kids only to find that my iTunes purchases are taxed now too under the governor’s tax on digital downloads. I guess I’ll have to hold off on downloading that new Taylor Swift single for awhile.

It’s been a long and taxing day. Sadly, it’s just another day in the life under Governor Dayton’s tax plan for Minnesota. Trust me, there are not enough coupons in the world to afford it.

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Rep. Franson encourages constituents to contact her office with input regarding any state legislative issue. She can be reached via e-mail at rep.mary.franson@house.mn. To contact Rep. Franson by phone, call (651) 296-3201. Mail can be sent to Rep. Mary Franson, 211 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul MN 55155.

Tags: opinion, commentary