State Representative
Phil Krinkie

ST. PAUL -- Today, Representative Phil Krinkie (R-Shoreview) and Senator Gen Olson (R- Minnetrista) said they will push for passage of a State Constitutional amendment to eliminate property taxes in Minnesota. "Instead of trying to fix Minnesota's Rube Goldberg-like connivance by adding yet another wrinkle to the system, its far easier to just remove this thorn from the taxpayers side," said Krinkie.

Krinkie and Olson were joined at a press conference by the Taxpayers League of Minnesota and the Minnesota Senior Federation, who announced their support for the proposed Constitutional Amendment.

"Minnesota shouldn't enter the new millenium stuck with such an archaic method of collecting taxes," said Krinkie. "We must tax ourselves to support the government service people need, but our duty in state government is to be as fair as possible in the exercise of that power. The property tax is easily the most unfair method of funding government, and we should eliminate it."

Krinkie indicated that the basic unfairness of the property tax is that it: 1) is not related to services received; 2) is not related to the ability to pay; and 3) is not necessarily related to wealth.

"The governor, to his credit, has started down the path of untangling the system," said Olson. "But we believe it is time to let citizens decide whether or not they want to keep the property tax at all. This proposal is right up the governor's alley."

"If we eliminate the property tax we would no longer be faced with the specter of people losing the homes they have lived in all their lives, simply because the values have increased and they can no longer afford to pay the property tax. We owe it to the people to do a fairer job of funding government," said Linda Runbeck of the Taxpayers League.

Minnesotans pay over $5 billion annually in property taxes, according to the Department of Revenue. The proposed Constitutional amendment would go to the voters in November, 2002.

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