MN Bishops Ask for Income Tax Increase

[HagiaSophia]

As the 2005 session of the state Legislature gets under way, Minnesota Bishops have issued a statement calling for “fair and equitable” income tax increases to provide for the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable citizens.

In a pastoral statement, the bishops have asked lawmakers not to make any more funding cuts in human service programs to balance the budget. Minnesota Catholic Conference spokeswoman Kate Crissik says they believe raising revenue “justly and fairly” is the best way to invest in human needs.

“The reason that they have done this is because they have seen, in their own communities, the impacts of the budget cuts, and the increase service fees that have been charged to individuals and property tax increases. And, they are very concerned about people in their communities who have been hardest hit by these cuts,” she said.

The bishops are concerned policymakers will make more cuts to human service programs, including health care, to close this year’s expected budget deficit of $1.4 billion (adjusted for inflation).

Cuts to state funded programs and services impact the poor, elderly and ill, said Bishop Victor Balkey of the Crookston diocese, and Minnesotans have a moral responsibility to help those less fortunate.

“We truly and deeply believe in the personal dignity of every human being,” he said. “And, when people are hurt by such cuts as the state made, we have to speak out for them. We are their voice, so that they do not go unheard.”

workdayminnesota.org/view_article.php?id=4c5ab0058c93d3cb63e41b5d772e7641

 

[fix]

Hmmm

 

[Norwich]

My faith is restored in Americans, or at least some of them!!!

 

[Trelow]

Maybe they should direct their energies into getting their priest to give better homilies regarding personal responsibility to take care of your brother.

 

[fix]

Trelow:

Maybe they should direct their energies into getting their priest to give better homilies regarding personal responsibility to take care of your brother.

Or better preaching about sexual morality that often is transgressed and leads to poverty.

 

[swampfox]

Sounds like their support for affirmative action that discriminates against many of the faithful–why would anyone donate to AmChurch when it repeatedly alienates traditional faithful Catholics to appease the pc MSM and elitist liberals. The bottom line is charity is an ethical concept not a metaphysical one–

 

[Lance]

Trelow:

Maybe they should direct their energies into getting their priest to give better homilies regarding personal responsibility to take care of your brother.

Fix:

Or better preaching about sexual morality that often is transgressed and leads to poverty.

These suggestions would require that they do their jobs, think there is any chance of that?

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

HagiaSophia:

As the 2005 session of the state Legislature gets under way, Minnesota Bishops have issued a statement calling for “fair and equitable” income tax increases to provide for the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable citizens.

I stopped reading here becuase isn’t this the role the Church and the Bishops are susposed to fulfill?

Since when does the Church shrug of its calling onto the backs of the government?

Maybe the Legislature should issue a statement calling on the bishops to support the poor as the Gospel commands.

 

[katherine2]

ByzCath:

I stopped reading here becuase isn’t this the role the Church and the Bishops are susposed to fulfill?

Since when does the Church shrug of its calling onto the backs of the government?.

For a long time now. The social encylicials are quite clear that their is a SOCIAL responsibility to care for the poor.

 

[jlw]

provide for the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable citizens.

Oh, like the unborn???

Minnesotans have a moral responsibility to help those less fortunate

.

True. By their own free will.

…they have seen, in their own communities, the impacts of…

Poor middle and high school curriculums, “how-to” sex education, teen pregnancy, out-of-wedlock births, single parent homes and…

Look all you liberals, God bless you, you have good intentions.

I’ll go slow for you (not that you aren’t smart, but years of public education can muddle the mind).

If you want to increase tax revenues, the grade school (and VERYshort term solution) answer is to raise income tax rates. It will work for one year, *MAYBE. Because in that year, the ones who produce the most, and therefore earn the most will leave your county, or even leave your state, thereby leaving the state without a tax base…and your revenues DROP. *

So, if you lower taxes (cue evil music), there is more money on EVERYONES pockets. Yes, those who produce more, and therefore earn more, and therefore pay more taxes…will get to keep more raw dollars than those in the lower income brackets.

1% of a $1000 is still more than 9% of $100. The guy earning $100 got his RATE cut NINE times that of the $1000 earner!!! That seems just to me. Maybe not to you?

THE POINT IS: When we have more money in our pockets, we USE IT. This means more purchases, more sales, more profit, more investment, and TA DA… with more profits…comes more tax revenue than before!!!

Yes, there will be a dip in revenue AT FIRST. The liberals whose knees buckle at the budget deficit AREN’T THINKING IT THROUGH.

If you want businesses AND JOBS to leave your city, leave your county, leave your state…raise taxes.

 

[swampfox]

katherine2:

For a long time now. The social encylicials are quite clear that their is a SOCIAL responsibility to care for the poor.

There’s nothing in Christ’s teaching that promotes a particular form of taxation or for that matter socialism over capitalism or big government over small government. There is a personal duty to be charitable with the fruits of one’s labor, i.e., to share the fruits of the tree one owns, not to share ownership of all trees, which as a consequence would bear no fruit. Read Fr. Tischner’s “Spirit of Solidarity” which talks about the Communists’ fallacy in this regard.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

swampfox:

katherine2:

For a long time now. The social encylicials are quite clear that their is a SOCIAL responsibility to care for the poor.

There’s nothing in Christ’s teaching that promotes a particular form of taxation or for that matter socialism over capitalism or big government over small government. There is a personal duty to be charitable with the fruits of one’s labor, i.e., to share the fruits of the tree one owns, not to share ownership of all trees, which as a consequence would bear no fruit. Read Fr. Tischner’s “Spirit of Solidarity” which talks about the Communists’ fallacy in this regard.

Thank you swampfox, you beat me to the punch in replying to katherine2. I could not agree with you more on this.

For some people, they see a call for a “Social responsibility” and they immediately jump to socialist and redistribution of wealth, but the Church has spoken in the negative on both of those issues already.

 

[swampfox]

Did the Minnesota Bishops indicate that they are willing to forgo the tax-exempt status of the Church in Minnesota so that the budget deficit can be closed?

 

[quijote]

HagiaSophia:

As the 2005 session of the state Legislature gets under way, Minnesota Bishops have issued a statement calling for “fair and equitable” income tax increases to provide for the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable citizens.

I wonder if the archbishop of Minneapolis would allow the Legionaries to stay and work in his diocese if they pledged to double the amount of taxes they pay?

Cheers

 

[Lisa_N]

swampfox:

Did the Minnesota Bishops indicate that they are willing to forgo the tax-exempt status of the Church in Minnesota so that the budget deficit can be closed?

You know this is a valid point as well. In a small town near Portland, there is a budget crisis because the town has SO MANY tax exempt organizations that the tax base has eroded substantially. Instead of attracting businesses and homeowners, this city wooed several large charitable organizations to set up shop without an understanding of the ramifications. It’s robbing Peter to pay Paul. Not that the exempt orgs are not doing good work. They are. But SOMEONE has to pay and as was pointed out earlier, if you keep increasing taxes, the productive people LEAVE for more friendly surroundings. I cannot tell you how many people, particularly wealthier retired folks who have left Oregon for Washington because of our high tax base. The county right on the other side of the river is exploding in population while our inner city with its multi-tiered tax base for individuals and business is scaring off all the productive people.

You cannot tax yourself into prosperity. Something the Bishops might consider. If they are worried about the poor, they should work to raise more money for effective and proven programs.

Lisa N

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Great post Lisa, I just want to comment a bit on that last part.
Lisa N:

You cannot tax yourself into prosperity. Something the Bishops might consider. If they are worried about the poor, they should work to raise more money for effective and proven programs.

Right, you can not tax yourself into prosperity but that is not the goal of most who advocate more taxes (I hope the Bishops in MN do not fall into this group).

The goal of more taxes is not to tax yourself into prosperity, it is to punish those who work hard and are successful. It is to make a welfare state were we have to rely on the state to provide for us. Rather than attempt to lift the fallen they want all of us to join them.

 

[Matt25]

ByzCath:

Great post Lisa, I just want to comment a bit on that last part.

Right, you can not tax yourself into prosperity but that is not the goal of most who advocate more taxes (I hope the Bishops in MN do not fall into this group).

The goal of more taxes is not to tax yourself into prosperity, it is to punish those who work hard and are successful. It is to make a welfare state were we have to rely on the state to provide for us. Rather than attempt to lift the fallen they want all of us to join them.

Actually as part of the Preferential Option for the Poor the Church does support the redistribution of wealth. I commend to your attention the Papal Encyclical Sollicitudio Rei Socialis

 

[jlw]

Matt25:

Actually as part of the Preferential Option for the Poor the Church does support the redistribution of wealth. I commend to your attention the Papal Encyclical Sollicitudio Rei Socialis

Specifically by the state?? Or by morally conscientious Christians??

 

[Norwich]

It never ceases to suprise me how quickly people can close ranks when their pocket is threatened!!!

 

[Trelow]

Matt25:

Actually as part of the Preferential Option for the Poor the Church does support the redistribution of wealth. I commend to your attention the Papal Encyclical Sollicitudio Rei Socialis

… with regards to developing nations.