Minnesota Miracle?

"That was his baby, which he garnered enough bipartisan support to pass it into law. It was about to change the face of Minnesota for decades to come."

It is not my intent to speak ill of the recently departed. So I will not. As most of us know by now, we recently lost one of our more popular governors. He was a Democrat. Some might say a progressive. The media loved him. Rugged good looks, a member of the 1956 Olympic hockey team (which won a silver medal), and an avid outdoors man. So what is not to love?

There are some who might disagree with me with what follows, but I will say it anyhow. Wendell Anderson set in motion the Minnesota Miracle. That was his baby, which he garnered enough bipartisan support to pass it into law. It was about to change the face of Minnesota for decades to come.

The Minnesota Miracle primarily changed the way we fund education in this state. And to do so, the state needed quite a bit more taxing authority to pull it off. When Anderson was interviewed on this 80th birthday, he was questioned about the Miracle. He had absolutely no regrets. Not even that it earned him his nickname of "Spendy Wendy". Anderson proudly said in the interview his Miracle raised the state income tax, state sales tax, cigarette tax, and liquor tax. 

Ergo today. According to the Tax Foundation, we now have the 6th highest taxes in the nation (combining state and local together). Our top rate is third highest of any state which has an individual income tax. One dollar out of every four collected in state taxes goes to fund Minnesota's K-12 education cabal. And I say cabal because Education Minnesota is so tight with Minnesota's Department of Education, it is not even close to funny. Until we get them untangled, "Spendy Wendy's" Minnesota Miracle will continue to fund this mess.

I find it interesting how the two political sides view the Minnesota Miracle as well as the one who created it. The Democrats thought this plan was the greatest thing since sliced bread. And progressives like our current Governor, still do. The Republicans, many of whom have to pay the freight for the Miracle, and witness what a cesspool some of our government schools have become, hate it. The Miracle's tax structure in Minnesota has made this state unattractive to seniors, to business, and to the wealthy.

RIP Governor Anderson. Yes, I will also say you did some good things for this state. Gave us more of a national presence. But your legacy of the Minnesota Miracle is now draining us. And people are leaving because of it. Leaving and taking their money with them. That is what the new miracle is - it is called the Minnesota Exodus.