Minnesota Tax Tea Party Conversations

I went to the Minnesota Tea Party on tax day. I saw a different story than what most people saw. Fortunately, I had a video camera, so you can look over my shoulder.

At a protest, normally, one sees the very hard core support. However, what I saw was widespread disillusionment. In the video, notice how people are blaming politicians on both sides. Note that even though we now have President Obama, there is still is acknowledgment that the problems started in the President Bush administration.

While not claiming to be a complete fact check, let me at least target a few statements in the video:

Fact Check: Across the years and increasingly more in recent years, Minnesota taxes the poor more on a dollar earned than the rich.

Taxing the poor more is displayed by combining all taxes at the state and local level and comparing to the population, by income level.




Fact Check: Actually oil companies frequently make much more than 10% on a gallon of gas.

A gentleman in the video states that oil companies only makes 10% on a gallon. Actually oil companies have high fixed costs that takes years to change, so profits on a gallon vary wildly. I was a senior systems analyst that worked on a major oil company's financial systems, so I know. Also, articles have published that same information:Oil companies make 55 to 85 cents per gallon profit and Minnesota and federal taxes on a gallon of gas 40.4 cents. And right now, I expect that oil companies are barely breaking even, where last year they probably making excessively high percentages. So last year, the oil companies did make way more profits than the government made in taxes on each gallon! This is a nit point, however better public policy comes from better understanding.

Fact Check: The Federal Reserve is audited.

The Federal Reserve is audited, although one could argue if the audits are through enough, transparent enough or timely enough. In 1978 Congress passed the Federal Banking Agency Audit Act (31 USCA §714). It placed the Federal Reserve System...

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• minnesota
• tea
• party
• teabag
• tax
• april
• 15

[dragonfly654]

It's weird that poor people are supporting tax cuts for the rich.

[chewbaca1989]

No Federal Tax, period.

[Nedspodos]

This is pre-Palin/Beck Tea Party. it is sad that it turned into God, Gays and Guns.

But the real dumb people don't know the difference between the two. The very first guy in the vid didn't look like he belonged at this rally. He looked like an example of the current Tea Party.

[GimmeSomeTruth1971]

The Comptroller General (appointed by the President) has power to audit only certain actions of the federal reserve. Ron Paul's bill asks for a full audit. The Federal Reserve unconstitutionally controls the borrowing of money. That power needs to go back to congress, where it belongs. The guy in the video is correct in saying that the federal reserve is a private entity. Do you think Federal Express is a US government entity, too?

[urparanoia]

@FFFFbody-You still have a problem with the hard questions, make statements you cannot backup and have little understanding of what is happening around you.Do a little homework and find out how we rate among other countries in regard to infant mortality rates, average life expectancy, overall health, happiness etc.and then explain what all of those countries that are rated higher have in common.Social programs do not equate to communism regardless of what those who are picking your pocket say

[urparanoia]

@FFFFbody - Do you believe the current system with health insurance premiums going higher each year along with deductibles is sustainable? The concessions made such as the loss of a single payer plan made the program a mere shell of what it could have been. Britain passed national healthcare after world war 2 and has never looked back. Sadly those who profit from healthcare have influenced all too many who are struggling and as a result support the very people who are picking their pocket.

[urparanoia]

@FFFFbody - Take a look at ALL of the other developed countries of the world and you will see that everyone else has a national healthcare program. Sadly all too many of the voting public have little or no understanding of what goes on beyond our borders and are easily inflluenced. Just tell the small minded they are losing their freedoms or some such nonsense and they would be against anything. Remember 70% of our citizens believed the lies of the repubs prior to the Iraq invasion.

[urparanoia]

@FFFFbody -You didn't mention the conservative legislation Medicare Prescript Part D. I'll jog your memory-it was a UNFUNDED entitlement passed by a repub. senate, repub. house and repub. president .As we all know it cost far more then conservatives initially claimed and made it illegal for groups to negotiate drug prices even though other countries such as Mexico do so when purchasing drugs from U.S. pharma companies.The conservative goal was to protect big pharma profits at tax payer expense

[FFFFbody]

@urparanoia Shit dude, how do you know so much about this healthcare? Even the big mouthed DFL liberals that voted for it don't know whats in it. Didn't Pelosi say "we have to vote for it to know what's in it"?

[FFFFbody]

@urparanoia So, you still think you have a winner here with your precious socialistic healthcare or, in your words, am I not smart enough to understand how great it is?