Call to Action!

Urgent Action Item!

We need Emails and Phone calls to go out NOW!!!!!

This bill and other Tax bills will be voted on next week in MN Senate. The Senate version DOES NOT CUT ANYTHING!

Rochester City Sales Tax Extension

The Minnesota House has voted and passed the sales tax bill with the 58.5 million cuts and defeated an amendment by Representative Liebling and Norton to increase it again to $160 million. They also passed an amendment that doesn’t allow the local municipality to use tax money to promote a sales tax referendum. That should help put the opposing parties on equal footing. This is far from over. Next the Senate votes on their version that doesn’t cut anything. We have made a huge difference. House members secretaries have told us they were overwhelmed with the calls and emails.This week we need Tea Patriots to call the Senators and tell them we want them to adopt the House version of the sales tax bill and introduce an amendment for the same cuts the House made.

Contact all Senators Here

Sen. Dave Senjem (651) 296-3903 sen.david.senjem@senate.mn
Sen. Carla Nelson (651) 296-4848 sen.carla.nelson@senate.mn
Sen. Warren Limmer (651) 296-5649 sen.warren.limmer@senate.mn
Sen. John Howe (651) 296-4264 sen.john.howe@senate.mn
Sen. Julianne Ortman (651) 296-4837 sen.julianne.ortman@senate.mn

Contact as many Senators as possible.

Senator: Adopt the House version of the sales tax bill and introduce an amendment for the same cuts the House made on the Rochester City Sales Tax.

Rochester Tea Party Patriots have already made a difference by getting 58.5 Million dollars cut from this the House bill! We Need YOU to keep the pressure on!

  • The sales tax was started 28 years ago with a promise it would be temporary and has been extended 4 times already.
  • Rochester’s City sales tax has been renewed more than any other in the state.
  • The City never asked the question in any meetings “Do we need to extend the Tax?” They only talked about what they could spend it on.

Higher Education 26.5 million

  • The City of Rochester has provided more funding for “State of Minnesota Higher Education institutions” than any other city in Minnesota.

Transportation 47 million

  • 10 million is for Airport, 3 million is for Bus Facility and the rest of the funding, 34 million is a slush fund for any road repair or building that they want to do.
  • Hwy 52 and 65th street interchange is mentioned but the City Council on Feb 23 voted not to go ahead with the project because “I see a history of this kind of project failing” one member compared the Hwy 63 and 40th St and 48th St interchanges saying “There was no net increase in jobs or retail sales for the city despite the 85 million dollar price tag” (this project was funded by the 1998 sales tax extension).

Economic Development 38 million

  • The Destination Medical Community initiative 25 million, is a “Vision”. No formal drawings or plans have been drawn up.
  • In their presentation of the DMC they said “It would create- with out rides. The Disneyworld of medical communities. (More Frosting)
  • Economic Development Fund was originally 10 million but they are now asking for 5 million. When asked how they came up with the amount they said that 10 million would be 5% of what the project will cost. That is a 200 million dollar project. They said this would get the ball rolling.
  • This is a Slush fund for development with no actual goals.

Regional/Community Facilities 40.5 million

  • The Library addition proposed in this bill did not get any votes from the 12 person panel. The Mayor and City Council put it in the request themselves.]
  • The Senior Citizens center has always been funded privately.
  • The Boys and Girls Club is a nonprofit Club. We have no business spending other peoples charitable donations for them. I want to decide where my donations go.
  • The Boys and Girls Club have not paid off the present building that they are in.

Together We Can and Do Make a Difference!