Taxes versus spending

A lot is made of a no new taxes pledge, and I would agree that not raising taxes is usually a good thing, but many of those that make such a pledge don't follow through by cutting spending.

I would rather you raise my taxes $15 then realize the next time I make an honest mistake and get a parking violation I have to pay $35. There are places for fees such as the state parks or a municipal pool, but in general if there’s a reasonable expectation that I will have to pay it without an ability to avoid it then you might as well put it in my taxes.

I'm not going to call governor Pawlenty out for breaking his pledge, even if David Strom and the tax payer’s league have made it clear that’s there view. I will say this unless he's ready to end the talks on stadiums, and actively look to cut waste as has successfully been done in other states such as Washington and Iowa I also will not give him credit for protecting our dollars.

I believe Peter Hutchinson has a proven track record of an ability to save tax payer dollars, I sure hope those that are most concerned about our tax dollars don't confuse cutting taxes with cutting wasteful spending.