Pubdate: Fri, 16 Jan 2015
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune (MN)
Copyright: 2015 Star Tribune
Contact: http://www.startribunecompany.com/143
Website: http://www.startribune.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/266
Author: James Roettger

EMBRACE INEVITABLE: LEGALIZE, TAX POT

Gov. Mark Dayton's proposals this year include a half-cent metro-area 
sales tax increase to pay for transit. In my industry as a jeweler, 
our sales tax is already high enough to drive a very high percentage 
of diamond buyers online to avoid many hundreds of dollars in tax on 
their once-in-a-lifetime, expensive engagement ring purchase.

Instead of raising the sales tax, how about embracing the inevitable 
and legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana? New taxes collected 
could be designated for infrastructure renewal without raising sales 
taxes and driving more business out of state. This could be quite a 
boon to our economy, provided lawmakers strike a good tax rate 
balance to avoid driving pot sales underground.

James Roettger, Minneapolis
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom