Last week, I attended the Minnesota House Republican tax plan press conference, which was followed by the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party response. While there, I was troubled by the Republicans’ rhetoric on who truly benefits from their proposals. 

 

The GOP plan calls for nearly $2 billion in tax cuts, which is roughly equivalent to Minnesota’s current budget surplus. The message Republicans sent in their press conference was that the middle class would directly benefit from these tax reductions. 

 

Unfortunately, though they disingenuously framed the math to paint a picture that the middle class would substantially gain from the GOP proposals. 

 

For example, they declared that 75 percent of the tax cuts would go to middle and lower-class individuals and families. They also claimed that families would, on average, receive a tax cut of up to $1,500. 

 

During the DFL response, though, House Minority Leader Paul Thissen, D-Minneapolis, disproved these talking points. According to his analysis, individuals making $50,000 would only receive a $70 reduction in taxes. This is because the averages are skewed to the rich and large corporations who have the most to gain from the

GOP plan. 

 

Ultimately, Republicans are pushing an agenda that squanders our surplus through blatant giveaways to the wealthy, as opposed to responsibly investing it in transportation infrastructure, health care and schools. 

 

For the best interests of all Minnesotans, let us end this budgetary recklessness.