BUSH TAX CUT =

HIGHER TAXES FOR AVERAGE CITIZENS!

President Bush’s mandates for homeland security, No Child Left Behind, and election reform are largely unfunded or under-funded. State and local governments are required to comply with these mandates, but are not allocated sufficient funds to do so. In order to pay for these “reforms” while maintaining vital state functions like road repair, fire, police and emergency medical services, states have been forced to raise taxes and cut services.

Meanwhile, everyday Minnesotans are left holding the bag. Some examples[1]:

· Property Taxes Rise: Property taxes increased 8.8 percent in 2003 and the proposed increase for 2004 is an additional 6.6 percent.

· College Costs Skyrocket: Tuition for students attending the University of Minnesota-Twin Cites increased this year by $836 (18.2%) to $7,116.

• Health Coverage Slashed: 35,000 people in Minnesota lost health coverage in FY 2004 when eligibility and benefits for certain low-income adults were cut and Medicaid was reduced for infants whose mothers were on Medicaid from 12-24 months.
• After-School Programs Eliminated: After-School Enrichment Grants, which fund programs for children struggling with academic success, were eliminated.
• Economy Not Stimulated: Bush’s tax cut has failed to meaningfully stimulate the economy, costing, according to Citizens for Tax Justice, a non-partisan research group, close to $150,000 per year for each job created.
• Tax Cuts Do Not Benefit Most Americans: 60% of Americans will receive less than $100 in tax savings per year. This represents only 7.8% of the total cuts legislated. So, who gets the remaining 92.2% of the Bush Tax Cuts?

Fact: Government spending and the size of the Federal government have increased tremendously under George W. Bush.

BUSH TAX CUT =

HIGHER TAXES FOR AVERAGE CITIZENS!

President Bush’s mandates for homeland security, No Child Left Behind, and election reform are largely unfunded or under-funded. State and local governments are required to comply with these mandates, but are not allocated sufficient funds to do so. In order to pay for these “reforms” while maintaining vital state functions like road repair, fire, police and emergency medical services, states have been forced to raise taxes and cut services.

Meanwhile, everyday Minnesotans are left holding the bag. Some examples[2]:

· Property Taxes Rise: Property taxes increased 8.8 percent in 2003 and the proposed increase for 2004 is an additional 6.6 percent.

· College Costs Skyrocket: Tuition for students attending the University of Minnesota-Twin Cites increased this year by $836 (18.2%) to $7,116.

• Health Coverage Slashed: 35,000 people in Minnesota lost health coverage in FY 2004 when eligibility and benefits for certain low-income adults were cut and Medicaid was reduced for infants whose mothers were on Medicaid from 12-24 months.
• After-School Programs Eliminated: After-School Enrichment Grants, which fund programs for children struggling with academic success, were eliminated.
• Economy Not Stimulated: Bush’s tax cut has failed to meaningfully stimulate the economy, costing, according to Citizens for Tax Justice, a non-partisan research group, close to $150,000 per year for each job created.
• Tax Cuts Do Not Benefit Most Americans: 60% of Americans will receive less than $100 in tax savings per year. This represents only 7.8% of the total cuts legislated. So, who gets the remaining 92.2% of the Bush Tax Cuts?

Fact: Government spending and the size of the Federal government have increased tremendously under George W. Bush.

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[1] Statistics courtesy of www.bushtax.com and Citizens for Tax Justice, a nonpartisan research group (http://www.ctj.org/).

[2] Statistics courtesy of www.bushtax.com and Citizens for Tax Justice, a nonpartisan research group (http://www.ctj.org/).