Reader's View: Minnesotans to pay more after this legislative session

In January, the Minnesota Legislature was met with 17.6 billion of our dollars that they should not have collected. We were led to believe legislators would try to give most of it back. In addition, Democratic legislators from the Northland promised to fight for the total elimination of the state tax on Social Security and other common-sense adjustments.

Here we are, almost at the close of the session, and what did the Legislature do? Lawmakers worked to legalize marijuana; give driver's licenses to illegals; pay off the Vikings stadium in millions so a man with billions, Vikings co-owner Zygi Wilf, needn't pay more; give free meals to schoolchildren, even those whose parents can pay, provide free college education, and increase auto-license fees. There will be more, to be sure

But will lawmakers give back most of the state’s record budget surplus? Think again. Rather, they are going to tax us about $10 billion more for their new ideas.

Where were the Northland legislators during these negotiations? Not a whimper.

Outstate gets outvoted by the overpopulated metro area, and crazy ideas are oftentimes products of a small minority of Hennepin County special interests.

Prior to this session, Minnesota was the sixth-highest-taxed state. After this session, we will move up a notch or two.

With little control, outstate legislators of both parties need to band together. Otherwise, the metro will continue to impose a cost of living we can't handle, and we will wind up paying for free stuff for the people who pay little in taxes in the metro.

Jim Gerdes

Sturgeon Lake