Posted: 01/30/10 11:18, Edited: 02/01/10 11:57
by Dave Mindeman
The House DFL tax committee chairwoman, Ann Lenczewski unveiled a DFL jobs proposal consisting of tax breaks. These are good proposals and if things weren't so partisan these days, I bet they would just sail through.
A couple of things to note.
There is a Mall of America expansion incentive (what is it now, the third try?) in there. Seems to use the generated sales taxes at the Mall to pay for its own expansion. Yes. Please, let's get this puppy started. The MOA people are looking at it and opening impressions are somewhat favorable:
Mall of America spokesman Dan Jasper said in a statement that mall officials have not seen Lenczewski's proposal for their project but are eager to learn the details. He said they are exploring the possibility of moving the second phase from a single-phase construction project to multiple phases in order to complete it in a "still difficult economic environment." "We are encouraged by the announcement today and hopeful that it can help us get started on the first phases of expansion," Jasper said.
Those are good construction jobs -- and should have been in the works long ago.
Another of Lenczewski's proposals involves angel investor tax credits. There's been a bit of a question regarding making it a credit or a deduction. Lenczewski believes the credit is more productive. Maybe so. But Wisconsin is way ahead of us on this front -- this needs to move as well.
Other parts of the bill deal with manipulation of local city and county tax increment financing to make contruction and business expansion more attractive. Fine. Let's do it.
Some of these ideas are not new and quite frankly, should have been done over the last two years. But between GOP complaints and Governor vetos, everything gets delayed and diluted.
Some more of that talk accompanies Lenczewski's proposal:
Kurt Zellers, House Minority Leader:
The leading House Republican, Minority Leader Kurt Zellers, of Maple Grove, said the DFL package was a "good starting point" but a relatively small one that is "not quite enough to get us over the hump."
Just once I would like to hear a Republican, any Republican, say..."yes, that sounds great. Let's pass that right now and get jobs moving." Is that too much to ask? Every proposal that comes forward from the DFL leadership can never be accepted on its face...."too much, not good enough, too little, too late."
Is the word "YES" voided out of the GOP vocabulary?
Pawlenty can't resist either:
"Gov. Pawlenty has long championed an angel investment tax credit and hopes the DFL will break from their pattern of including it in a bill that gets vetoed, because it also has a truckload of other job-killing tax increases," Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung said in an e-mail.
C'mon Governor, jobs are on the line. Gosh, maybe your office should just write the bills as well. You do remember that the legislature still gets to be involved, right?
Move something people.....your constituents are ready to get to work.
Somebody just has to say, YES, I AGREE. Is that so hard?
