It’s getting cold out. Florida looks better all the time. What’s the state income tax rate in Florida or Texas?

Job creators should pay NO taxes. They make everyone else’s lives possible.

Job creators make everyone’s lives possible?!? Really? So if all the people were unemployed who would the employers sell their goods and services too? And who would he get to run the equipment and provide the services?

Because, obviously employers don’t need employees.

[...] has the list of people discussing this story: Hot Air, ThinkProgress, Center for American Progress, CBS Minnesota, Politics, Wall Street Journal, Conservatives4Palin, CBS News, The Glittering Eye, Maggie’s [...]

I think this article is confusing!

So higher income earners pay a higher income rate, by as a percentage of income they pay a lower rate? What the heck?

I’m taking it that they pay a lower percentage of income because of tax breaks and loopholes? So in actuallity they are not paying their fair share, just taking advantage of the system!

Misleading? Is 9.7% less than 11.5%? Isn’t that what the President said?

Pat Kessler is misleading us,
The title of his article suggests he’s speaking about Obama and federal income tax. Here Obama claims the rich are taxed at a higher percentage – I do my taxes by myself and see the tables – the percentages are higher the more income you show. Kessler, reading between the lines beneath the misleading title speak about Minnesota State Taxes. Obama will kill what’s left of the American Dream my grandfather had when he canme here. Wny not have a flat tax on income and don’t tax anything else – and don’t tax business’ because the owners/stockholders are getting taxed on capital gain and employees are getting taxed on income from the business. Figure out the percentage that we must pay on income alone and make the same for everyone and gradually getting rid of all subsidies and deductions. Lump in all current Medicare and Social Security into Fed income tax and eliminate the caps on income..

Oh so the middle class and thepoor are nothing more than mere servants for the wealthy? Must be that Republicans are secertly working for the Queen to return the US to the Brits. Just remeber there are far more middle class and poor then there are wealthy.

I would also say that the people in the Black Hills of SD are FAR NICER and FRIENDLY than the tree-hugging vegans in minnesota’s arrowhead. Given a choice, I would rather be in the Black Hills than in the arrowhead, and I’ve been in BOTH.

Can’t wait to hear kessler speak of how ‘productive’ the unemployed are, or how it’s so necessary that we continue on with the never-ending WELFARE, at every LOCAL, COUNTY, STATE, and FEDERAL LEVEL, and how much all of these programs to our national GDP, and how much these inter-generational families have made such a great positive contribution to our society.

Kessler’s report is both misleading and rambling nonsense. Let’s start with his own figure that the wealthy pay 9.7% and the rest 11.5% in state taxes. Get an elementary math book – 9.7 is less than 11.5. That is an example of what Obama said..

Next, what is the point of spending so much time saying that some of the rich live out state? Obama was talking about the wealthy wherever they live.

So the top 2% payed in 32% of taxes paid. Sounnds impressive, untill you take into account the fact that someone who makes 50 million is getting 1000 times someone who makes 50,000. Their 32% doesn’t seem like much,

And you who think the millionaires and billionaires are job creators – you must also be the folks who believe professional wrestling is real. They are the folks who lay off honest workers and send jobs overseas. They are the ones whose business fails under their leadership and and get away with a big bonus while the workers get nothing. This is not class warfair, just the facts. Borders books is the latest example.

Pat, you need to come back with a report on this subject that makes sense. And you folks who talk about moving to another state – please go.

Pat, take another swing at this. I know you can do better.

This story adds nothing to the average person’s understanding of how the tax system has been rigged against people who work for a living. I checked three dictionaries for the definition of “millionaire”. They all define it as “possessing a million of a unit of currency”. Let’s make it even more clear; I’m talking about US dolllars now and I am in fact a “millionaire”. I didn’t earn a million dollars in income last year and I don’t see why that seems to be the definition of millionaire. Nobody anywhere in the media will admit the basic fact that, not only do the people who sit on their ass all day (like me) collecting investment income pay a 15% federal tax rate; they can write off their losses against the gains and eliminate ALL their federal tax liability. Who cares about the state tax rate when I’ve already reduced my tax liability by 2/3rd.

Kessler is a joke as a reporter. He spins things better than most people running for office. Don’t know why WCCO even keeps him around. Poor story WCCO! I thought WCCO got a new News Manager?

Thanks DamnAngryModerate,

That makes a whole lot more sense. WCCO, please use that type of structuring to make your point. Concise argument/s with concise facts. It comes off a lot more cleaner.

My english teacher would have me rewrite my papers over about 3 or 4 times and reduce and simplifying the wording and structure of every sentence before excepting the paper for grading.

As my teacher quoted Zinzer; “Simplify, simplify, simplify!”

It’s that easy.

I guess the point of this article again comes to where should the burden of State’s and Federal Gov’t budget short comings come from.

It either will come from the middle class or the rich. And since it’s probably easier to fix the budget by cutting, (which seems to already have happened for school districts around Minnesota) this taxation thing may become mute.

Just remember everyone (both rich and middle class, and poor), everything comes around. Usually not in the same way as you give it, but it does come around. Slash budgets and you increase class room sizes, eliminate unique tools and programs to better prepare our kids for the digital high tech. age we are now deeply in.

Eliminate special programs to keep the focus on troubled kids, and help them integrate them into society, you’ll end up with more problems, larger prisons, and shelling out more money there.

Just remember people don’t work in Social Services or teaching because they want to make a lot of money. At least I hope that they don’t have that delusion. They do it because they want to make a difference in a youg person’s life and perhaps feel a little better about themselves.

Every Business owner I’ve talked to (both big and small), and I’ve talked to a lot of them, is in business to make money. Period! Do they want to cut jobs when times are tough? No of course they don’t! Who would like to tell someone they are fired? But their sole purpose is to make money.

It’s also true that some people take positions solely on making more money. No doubt there either. But the difference is what they end up doing with the money that I believe is more important to the whole (nation, people, ect..). Track the money and you’ll find which side of the fence you’re on.

I quit watching the local fox news when Heidi Collins blindsided Mark Ritchie. When i saw this report i thought you were out of line Pat. and i actually said “republican shill” the problem at the legislature state and federal is the obstructionist republicans. and you really didn’t get that did you? what have THEY done to offer one dam (indian half penny) wit of help in improving my life? I’m done. gonna watch KARE from now on.

Just wondering how taxes are enough? And what is Obamas version of “thier fair share”? Oh wait I know its when I have no money left and supporting the 46% of the country taking thier Obama paychecks. Its about time people start picking themselves up and doing it on their own, its not the governments job.

What about a flat tax? Wouldn’t that make more sense?Cut and dry. Everyone pays rich and poor.

I’d like to weigh-in on taxing the “wealthy”. The reason given for tax breaks for the wealthy is that it allows them to invest and thus create jobs. How about this idea? When the wealthy create a job, they recieve a “Tax Credit” equal to the amount that job will pay in taxes. If they fail to create a job, they have to pay the amount that job would have paid in taxes. Either way the government gets the money it needs, and there is a real incentive for the wealthy to create jobs, which is what this country really needs.

Oh, by the way, I’ve been a small business owner and employed people for over 28 years.

Seems like a practical idea to me.

Jim

Pat it’s time for a Reality Check on your story. It is not misleading it is completely inaccurate. The President is talking about Fedral taxes. You are talking about state taxes. State taxes and Fedral taxes are two completely taxes. So not only is this story incorrect so is your followup mailbag story. You need to do better fact checking before you run anymore stories. The President deals with Fedral taxes, The Govenor’s deal with State tax issues. Federal and State taxes are two different tax systems.

[...] as the name suggests, would affect people making more than $1 million in a given tax year. Almost 4,000 Minnesotans fall into this category, along with around 4,000 non-resident millionaires who pay taxes in MN. [...]

I always respected Pat Kessler as a reporter…that time has passed..Pat you should go join FOX…since you’ve decided to throw 99% of us under the bus…nuff said!!!

I’m getting so frustrated with this topic, because everyone is twisting around their logic to defend their position. People keep saying “easy math 9.7% is less than 11%” – but that completely avoids the “fairness” conversation. If someone makes $50,000 and you send them a tax bill for $5,500 – they will pay it. If you sent them a tax bill for $97,000 (that’s what the million dollar guy pays) they couldn’t pay it and would choke. So now who’s paying “the same?” Do high income earners really use more services from the state/fed? Really? We renew our car tabs, send the same # of kids to school, drive on the same roads, etc.

If we reversed the tax system around and just took the tax bill of the state of MN annually and divided it out amongst people who can pay taxes – the bill would be so high most of us would choke on it, but “thanks” to high income earners to who cover most of the bill – we can afford it.

Seems to me that instead of getting bitter towards the high income people out there in the state, we should have some level of thankfulness for them paying most of the tab for us – instead of saying they don’t pay their share.

I also don’t like the rich people saying they are creating jobs when they are not paying taxes…don’t buy that either, it’s just another avoidance tactic of the conversation. I know plenty of very wealthy people who haven’t created any jobs apart from that they buy stocks and bonds that do fuel the economy, but in different ways – but not in some way that’s going to fuel new job growth cause they are all going to say “whew, i’m paying less taxes – i’m going to hire 10 people…”

Back to my original thought. I think if the “poor” people who say they are paying more taxes (percentage NOT $$) – had a bigger bill, then it would cause them to question where we are spending our money as a government – and get them more invested in the political and budget system – and to scrutinize what/where/why/how we spend everyones hard earned tax $$. Just passing the tab down the table to the guy who can afford to pay more for more of the meal – avoids the conversation about what we are all ordering once the waiter shows up in the first place.

I applaud Pat K for starting this side of the conversation because it’s not been looked at very often by the press and even though the stats might not be perfect, the big idea behind this idea is a good one for all sides to consider.

BTW – I think this idea of “just cause rich people can afford more of the tab” logic is very dangerous for all of us Americans, and we should all reflect on the damage this could do. This would never fly in a family system where just cause one of our brothers/sisters makes more money – we can all buy bigger houses, drive more expensive cars, eat out more often, etc. just cause they can cover our back.

Time for everyone to come back down to reality – stop this circular conversation that avoids the real issues, and get everyone to bend a knee and be proud of our country again.

I clicked the link to this site by accident, but wanted to read this post. I recommended it to my brother to check out. Thanks!