Minnesota thrives, Rauner fails on jobs

by | Feb 12, 2018

The following is a guest commentary that recently appeared in the The State Journal Register of Springfield, Illinois.   The numbers tell a harsh story: since Gov. Bruce Rauner came to office in January 2015, Illinois has been one of only four states nationwide...

State Revenues: the Real Story

by | Feb 9, 2018

Minnesota conservatives argue that the state general fund grows bigger and bigger, year in and year out. After adjusting for inflation, however, per capita general fund revenue in Minnesota falls short of levels seen at the beginning of the current century. While the...

The Purple Lining in Vikes’ Failure to Make Super Bowl LII

by | Feb 1, 2018

On January 22, Minnesotans awoke to a depressing reality. The night before, the Minnesota Vikings lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in what can only be described as a blowout, ending the Vikes’ playoff run and hopes of being the first team in NFL history to play in a...

Enjoy Your Penny While You Can, Homer Simpson

by | Feb 1, 2018

A recent blog post from the Center for the American Experiment (CAE)—Minnesota’s right wing think tank—features an overjoyed Homer Simpson. Homer apparently celebrates the “bonuses and pay hikes” that Minnesota workers are supposedly receiving through recent federal...

Long Live the Death Tax!

by | Jan 25, 2018

Conservatives hate the estate tax, which falls primarily on a tiny sliver of the very wealthiest households. However, criticisms of the estate tax do not hold up well under close scrutiny. We examined the criticism that the estate tax constitutes “double taxation” in...