Monthly Archives: July 2010

Failure to address climate change harms vulnerable populations

July 27, 2010

Last Thursday, U. S. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid announced that he did not have the 60 votes necessary to pass major climate change legislation. This was very disappointing news for those working to pass comprehensive, equitable legislation to address climate change. It … Continue reading →

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Congress should reject hard caps on discretionary spending

July 26, 2010

Hard caps on nondefense domestic discretionary spending will not significantly reduce long-term deficits. That’s because the biggest factors contributing to long-term deficits are primarily the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts and the costs associated with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Budget, Taxes | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Congress close to passing unemployment benefit extension, economic boost expected

July 21, 2010

Wednesday evening, the U.S. Senate approved an extension of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, after clearing a key procedural hurdle on Tuesday. While the bill leaves some key supports for unemployed workers off the table, the action will have an immediate … Continue reading →

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Minnesota’s taxes near average, total public revenues below average

July 16, 2010

Minnesota is near average when it comes to taxes. Total state and local taxes in Minnesota were 11.2 percent of personal income in the state in FY 2008, according to U.S. Census and Bureau of Economic Analysis data. The national … Continue reading →

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Minnesota's taxes near average, total public revenues below average

July 16, 2010

Minnesota is near average when it comes to taxes. Total state and local taxes in Minnesota were 11.2 percent of personal income in the state in FY 2008, according to U.S. Census and Bureau of Economic Analysis data. The national … Continue reading →

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Bad news and really bad news about Minnesota’s financial situation

July 12, 2010

First, the bad news. Despite some optimism from the Governor at the end of the 2010 Legislative Session that the cash flow situation for FY 2011 was manageable, the latest news from Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) shows that the state’s cash balance in the … Continue reading →

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Bad news and really bad news about Minnesota's financial situation

July 12, 2010

First, the bad news. Despite some optimism from the Governor at the end of the 2010 Legislative Session that the cash flow situation for FY 2011 was manageable, the latest news from Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) shows that the state’s cash balance in the … Continue reading →

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Recovery Act has brought $2.6 billion to Minnesotans

July 9, 2010

Minnesotans have received approximately $2.6 billion in direct federal assistance from February 2009 through May 2010 as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The direct assistance was provided through increased benefits … Continue reading →

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Minnesota nonprofits urge Congress to support Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit

July 1, 2010

Fifty nonprofits from across Minnesota joined a sign-on letter to the Minnesota Congressional delegation expressing strong support for recent improvements to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) that were included in the American Recovery and … Continue reading →

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