MN legislators trying to pinch more out of us

I can't tell you how mad comments like these make me.

People come to Minnesota from all over the region to buy clothing, in large part because the state charges no sales tax on clothes.

But now two state lawmakers from opposite sides of the aisle at the Capitol have introduced bills that would repeal that exemption. In exchange for that unpopular move, they would cut the sales tax rate for all taxable items.

"Monies from the sales tax are shrinking," State Representative Ron Erhardt, a Republican from Edina, told KARE 11.

"This would be a way to broaden the base we tax on and reduce the rate as a matter of fact." [I don't care how much you "reduce the rate", if you're adding more items to tax, you're raising taxes!!]

Erhardt's bill would repeal the sales tax exemption clothing currently enjoys, and at the same time reduce the rate on all items from 6.5 percent to 5.96.
...
Representative Erhardt says he realizes it won't happen soon, but he wants to get the conversation going in the Legislature to bring some fiscal stability.

"I don't know if mine's a good idea," said Erhardt, "But that was the lowest we could come in at and the biggest pot of money readily available. So let's start here and start talking about it. ... [Let's recap: you don't know if you have a good idea but you're still proposing it. Additionally, you see anything that currently isn't being taxed as a big "pot of money readily available"?!? That's pure lunacy!!]

"I certainly don't want to be tagged with raising taxes!" Erhardt laughed, "After this last mess with the transportation bill." [Well, when you raise taxes, you get tagged with raising taxes. That's kind of how it works...]

Erhardt was one of six Republicans who crossed party lines to support the highways bill which increased gas taxes, license tab fees on new cars, and sales taxes in the Metro area.

The more Ron Erhardt talks, the less I like him.

H/T: Nihilist