Dec 22, 2020
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Tax money is flying all around the state. It's going to feed transportation, housing, transit, roads, and more. There are, however, strings that come along with all of it, in order for the state to get things done their way. Rural areas and small towns are getting decimated in the process.
Roads are handled differently depending on what type of road is being fixed. There are a number of different taxes that feed into that. There's the gas tax, the motor vehicle sales tax, and tabs. Then the state breaks that up among state aid roads, state highways, and trunk highways. Is there a better way to fund these projects across the state?
There's way too much reliance on bonding when it comes to funding projects. Cities need to start looking ahead and planning for their future. Saving in advance saves constituents millions of dollars. Hidden taxes like special assessments, franchise fees, and debt service eat up so much money that residents don't even realize they are paying.
We see the same things happening across the state. The problem is that you have regional planning organizations (i.e. Met Council, MADO, counties, etc) driving these changes down to the cities they oversee. If you listened to the last episode, you know that these staff planners are all trained with the same concepts in the universities. What do these rural areas and smaller cities need to do to keep their character intact, yet move into the 21st century?
We also discuss the newest round of Governor Tim Walz's lockdowns, and how they don't seem to based in science. He goes after bars and restaurants because they don't have anyone to stand up for them. It's all meant to use fear to make people feel safe, because he's doing "something". Shouldn't we do the right thing? All of this posturing is meant to cover over that they don't have a plan, besides staying locked down. Where is the voice of the opposition in St. Paul?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
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