Keep On The Sunny Side

While the Minnesota House's override of Governor Pawlenty's veto of the transportation bill is being greeted by local conservatives with a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth, it does seem that there may be a silver lining after all:

That bill raises the gas tax, license tab fees, and other Metro area sales taxes. But in November, another sales tax increase will be on the ballot and Minnesota voters will decide whether it goes up even more.

The bill will ask voters for a three-eighths of a cent rise in taxes for outdoors and art programs.

Supporters of that amendment said the transportation bill would make it difficult to pass another tax increase.

"If we throw the largest tax increase in state history at the voters now I think we pretty much just torpedoed the heritage amendment," said Rep. Mike Beard, R-Shakopee.

If only that were really true. Unfortunately, I'm sure the "heritage amendment" or "legacy act" or whatever historically important name they've given it now is still very much afloat. But it's not going to be easy sailing to passage:

According to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS' exclusive Survey USA Poll, it already faces a tough road to passage.

When asked about the constitutional amendment to raise the sales tax for the outdoors and the arts, 64 percent said it's a bad idea. Only 32 percent approved, with very few declaring themselves undecided.

Now, that really is some good news for a change. But now is not the time to celebrate, because November is a long ways off and those in favor of the Theater Birthright proposition are just gearing up their efforts to cram this legacy tax down our throats:

DFL leaders don't think the transportation taxes will impact the vote on the outdoors and arts bill.

"I don't think it puts a nail in the coffin at all. I think people have said they want to clean up our water, they want to make the investments in conservation and the cultural issues that are proposed in that ballot question," said House Speaker Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher.

A public relations campaign to win support for that amendment is already getting underway.

On behalf of the entire staff here at Fraters Libertas, I promise that when it comes to defeating this amendment, we shall fight on the blogs, we shall fight on the radio shows, we shall fight at the rallies and at the conventions, we shall fight at the polls; we shall never surrender.