State and local taxes and spending Rochester Post Bulletin: 81% of Olmsted County homeowners will see their taxes go up in 2026. What are the options for relief? Pine Journal:…
State and local taxes and spending Kare 11: With property taxes rising in Minneapolis, taxation board president urges new ideas KSTP: Roseville homeowner sounds alarm over 35% property tax increase…
State and local taxes and spending Star Tribune: Budget battle brewing between mayor and outgoing Minneapolis City Council Duluth News Tribune: Local View: Minnesota has to stop treating taxpayers like…
My most controversial post yet. In the bizarre debate about fraud in Minnesota, here is my nominee for most bizarre headline. From KSTP-5 TV, Somali Minnesotans drive economic growth, pay…
During the federal government shutdown, Gov. Walz tweeted that “Every $1 invested in SNAP generates $1.80 in economic activity.” This sounds too good to be true. With SNAP costing an…
State and local taxes and spending KTTC: Property taxes: Where do they go and who sets the amounts? Star Tribune: Opinion | Minnesota’s fiscal system is under serious pressure. Might…
Yesterday, I looked at why Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita growth in Minnesota has ranked 38th out of 50 states since 2014. Using the framework and data from our…
Last week, I noted that “[i]n every single year since 2014, Minnesota’s economy has grown more slowly, in real terms, than that of the United States. What accounts for this?…
State and local taxes and spending 105fm: Minnesota Property Tax Collections Set To Rise By $950 Million KFGO: Minnesota property owners brace for tax increases Alpha News: Candidate questions county’s…
A new report from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce has generated some interest among the state’s media this week. Headlines include: KSTP: MN Chamber of Commerce report says the state’s…
Price controls are famously known for being bad policy. Rent control, for instance, discourages housing development, reducing supply, which leads to even higher costs in the long run. A New…
State and local taxes and spending KSTP: Stearns County officials explain how their 5.2% property tax hike will work Alexandria Echo Press: Alexandria’s lodging tax yields big impact Marshall Independent:…
The economics of housing affordability The big buzzword in politics right now is “affordability.” Things aren’t affordable, the argument goes, or are becoming less so, and voters will reward the…
We were told that the future lay in density, urban environments served by mass transit and with pedestrian/bike friendly landscapes. They were wrong. From the Minnesota Star Tribune, St. Louis…
State and local taxes and spending Star Tribune: Ramstad: The next year is going to be tough for Minnesota governments and politics Minn Post: Minnesota has over $5 billion it…
In addition to rent control, Mayoral candidate Senator Omar Fateh wants Minneapolis to adopt a $20 minimum wage by 2028. This would be disastrous for the city, as results from…
Economic growth Star Tribune: Target layoffs reflect economic trends: ‘We’re starting to see cracks’ Star Tribune: Halloween businesses were worried, but now think last-minute spending surge will save them Minn…
One of the consequences of the collapse of downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul is the rise of “suburban downtowns” elsewhere. The Star Tribune reports: The concept of a “suburban downtown”…
Economic growth Duluth News Tribune: Candidate’s View: Economic growth matters to Duluth; standing still comes at a cost Star Tribune: Opinion | The culprit behind our precarious state? A stagnant…
Yesterday, I wrote about Minnesota’s performance on the raw labor components of human capital; the number of people employed and the average number of hours each of them works annually.…
Yesterday, I wrote that “Per capita economic growth comes from three sources,” one of which is “Growth in human capital, the quantity and quality of the labor provided.” I also…
The recent film “A Precarious State” has drawn a number of responses, a recurring theme of which is that Minnesota’s problem is its slow growing economy resulting from its slow…
As the core cities continue their collapse into oblivion, surrounding suburbs step up to fill the void. From the Minnesota Star Tribune, Twin Cities suburbs seek destination status with new…
State and local taxes and spending Alpha News: Bloomington looking at property tax increase of 9.44%, building $100 million complex Economic growth Minnesota Reformer: Minnesota exports down 19% from this…