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James Hamilton

St. Paul, MN
Commenter for
4 years 8 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 09/23/10 at 10:32 pm in response to 'Anonymous donor' funds anti-gay marriage DVD mailing

Re: The Mortgage Master

I guess it's a good thing we can't borrow our way out of our current budget issues. "Unless, of course, Rep. Emmer is going to put it on his MasterCard.

Posted on 09/23/10 at 10:30 pm in response to 'Anonymous donor' funds anti-gay marriage DVD mailing

Nienstedt:

"There's no discrimination when there isn't a basic right to something," he said.

Some day, Archbishop, we will recognize the fundamental right to love and make a family with whome we choose. What will your argument be then?

Posted on 09/23/10 at 11:32 pm in response to Polls indicate Americans are less infected with anti-tax fever this year

The first thing we need to do is eliminate the word 'fair' from our tax vocabulary. As they say, life ain't fair. More important: you'll never get agreement on what it means.

So, let's be honest. Our income tax system is based (at least in part) on what we think people can afford to pay, based on what they have left to work with after paying the multiplicity of taxes we impose. Hell, can't even go to a doctor without paying a tax these days.

The woman making $28k a year isn...

Posted on 09/26/10 at 02:56 pm in response to Tom Horner's Vikings stadium plan: its strengths, its weaknesses

The bottom line, based on Mr. Horner's optimistic projections:

Tax revenues: "A new Vikings stadium would generate at least $26 million in annual tax revenue"

Annual bond payments: "Multiple funding options need to be considered to meet the estimated $32-to-$34 million per year state cost on 40-year bonds."

What's proposed here is a $6 to $8 million net annual subsidy, without taking into account the public share of operating costs, increased demand on police, and many...

Posted on 09/25/10 at 10:50 am in response to Tom Horner's Vikings stadium plan: its strengths, its weaknesses

Mr. Foster:

"The Vikings "need" a subsidy in the sense that they cannot meet and sustain a financially justifiable return on investment without it. And down the road, they will need a subsidy simply in order to survive."

If this is true, then perhaps it's best to let them go now, before holding ourselves hostage with a stadium to pay off.

Posted on 09/23/10 at 07:46 pm in response to Tom Horner's Vikings stadium plan: its strengths, its weaknesses

Opposing a new, publicly-funded Vikings' stadium is a long way from a head-in-the-sand approach to the issue, although I must admit it's not a popular approach with our current crop of candidates.

Talk about entitlements: "If you want us to live here, you're got to not only build us a house, but include extra quarters so we get some rental income. Oh, and while you're at it, give us all of any other revenue it might create. You can use our property taxes to pay for it."

Other...

Posted on 09/21/10 at 04:29 pm in response to Mark Dayton's 'enhanced' Plan B comes closer but still doesn't close the budget gap

@Rosalind Kohls: What, pray tell, does "get out of the way and let business create jobs" mean, exactly?

Posted on 09/21/10 at 01:32 pm in response to Bachmann's tale of Pelosi's bar tab rates 'Pants on Fire', says PolitiFact

Read the full FactCheck.org piece, using the link provided above, for the full flavor of Rep. Bachmann's error. (Assuming she or a staff member actually read something other than a blog that picked up and ran with the inaccurate numbers.)

Posted on 09/21/10 at 01:23 pm in response to College tuition is high, but the cost of not going is higher

My post got away from me!

I was saying, consider financial aid. While not every student qualifies, those who do can receive substantial amounts. Those who don't, likely because of household income, have a variety of tax benefits available to them.

See,...

Posted on 09/21/10 at 01:06 pm in response to College tuition is high, but the cost of not going is higher

Is college tuition really that high? Annual undergraduate tuition and fees at:

U of M, Minneapolis-St. Paul: $12,228.

U of M, Morris: $11,532.

U of M, Duluth: $11,756.

Winona State: $8,081.

St. Cloud State: $6,661.

Metro State: $5,923.

Inver Hills Community College: $4,965.

Normandale Community College: $5,125.

Consider the number of students receiving financial aid and the amount of that aid. For U of M, Morris, 2007-08:...