Workers unfurled a “Tax the Rich” banner outside Amazon’s Shakopee fulfillment center today.
Bobby Kasper: A stocking stuffed with tax cuts for the wealthy
December 14, 2017 by
With an unsettling lack of bipartisanship or debate, Republicans in both the Senate and House of Representatives have passed sweeping measures to reform the U.S. tax code in ways that would rig our system even more favorably toward corporations and the rich. Now, Congressional leaders are working overtime to get President Trump’s signature on the […]
Teachers kick off contract campaign by targeting corporate tax dodgers
April 18, 2017 by
Anticipating negotiations with a school district that seems perpetually short on resources, St. Paul teachers launched their contract campaign today – Tax Day – by calling on the city’s wealthiest corporations to pay their fair share toward local public schools. St. Paul Federation of Teachers Local 28 kicked off its contract campaign early this […]
House Republicans play politics with unemployment extension for steelworkers
March 4, 2016 by
Steelworkers pleaded with members of a House committee yesterday to pass a clean bill extending unemployment benefits to workers impacted by the Iron Range mining slowdown, but they couldn’t convince Republicans, who continued holding the relief package hostage for $271 million in tax cuts for businesses. “Believe me, this is not an easy thing for […]
Students, teachers, unions urge lawmakers to invest state budget surplus
December 3, 2015 by
The projected $1.2 billion state budget surplus, announced by state officials today, creates an opportunity for lawmakers to strengthen communities and continue growing Minnesota’s middle class in the 2016 legislative session, union members and allies said. And the first place lawmakers should look to invest is education. That’s the message three Metro-area legislators heard […]
Minnesota state, local taxes fairer than most, report finds
January 14, 2015 by
Minnesota’s tax structure is among the fairest in the country, according to the results of an annual analysis of state and local tax systems released today by the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The report, “Who Pays,” looks at how states generate tax revenue – and how much it costs taxpayers at different […]
Taxpayers are subsidizing fast-food industry’s low wages, report finds
October 17, 2013 by
That extra value meal might seem like a bargain, but a new report shows low prices on the fast-food menu come at a high cost to U.S. taxpayers. How much? Nearly $7 billion a year. That’s the cost of public assistance for fast-food workers and their families, according to “Fast Food, Poverty Wages,” a report […]
Letters to the Editor: Kudos to Metsa for walking in low-wage workers’ skin
May 31, 2013 by
A story in the May Union Advocate (“A constant juggling act”) about state Rep. Jason Metsa of Virginia trying to live for a week on a minimun-wage budget brings to mind a quote from the famous novel “To Kill a Mocking-bird,” in which lawyer Atticus Finch tells his young daughter, “You never really understand a […]
Education funding, tax reform highlight gains made in 2013 session, unions say
May 22, 2013 by
Minnesota’s working families will see the most obvious fruits of the 2013 legislative session in their public schools and property-tax bills, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg of investments, reforms and initiatives passed by labor-endorsed majorities in the Legislature this year, union leaders said. The Minnesota AFL-CIO called the session, which adjourned May […]
Community forum on ‘honest tax reform’ April 4 in Woodbury
March 27, 2013 by
A forum and panel discussion in Woodbury April 4 will demonstrate “the need for the Minnesota Legislature to make reforms that stop the cycle of recurring deficits, and instead establish a structurally sound budget now and in the future.” Sponsored by River Valley Action, the forum will run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Woodbury-Peaceful […]
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