Who is Raising Taxes Now?

Finally there is some discussion of the cost to taxpayers SHOULD the photo I.D. amendment pass. All along, the local election officials have looked at this proposal as a solution looking for a problem and knowing that the local units of government would be left holding the bag.

Why is there a cost? Simply bringing an I.D. along when you vote is not going to tell the judge anything. Each polling place will need to have a computer system so the I.D. can be checked to see if it is accurate and valid. The computer system will have to be updated and maintained. It will have to be stored in a safe and secure place which - most likely will have to be provided by each county. This will be costly.

Now, Nicollet County officials have said the cost would be $100,000 each election cycle and Blue Earth County officials have estimated it to be $600,000 each election cycle. Since there were no Democrats supporting this and we can thank only Republicans for getting this amendment proposal on the ballot, the only question left to ask is, "who is raising taxes now?"

Are Church Members Ready?

The Nuns on the Bus are ready to "tell it as it is" and they are doing just that.

They point to a study by the nonpartisan group,  Bread for the World that advocates for hunger issues. This group's study indicates that the food stamp cuts which are in Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan's budget proposal would mean that "every church in the country would have to come up with approximately $50,000 dedicated to feeding people----every year for the next 10 years."

Are we ready for this gigantic task?