President Barack Obama and Gov. Mark Dayton have proposed more taxation of working folks. Both leaders fail to see a need to cut spending in Washington or St. Paul.

No, the solution for both men is to tax more so big government can become bigger and the debt can grow without restraint.

As of Thursday, Feb. 14, the U.S. debt had topped $16.5 trillion, heading toward $16.6 with break-neck speed.

St. Paul’s debt was over $1.1 billion and growing. (Indications coming out of the state capitol are little or no return of borrowed funds from past legislative sessions to school districts around the state.) What’s the seeming solution? More taxes.

Why is it that neither leader gets it? It is spending less and giving the taxpayer a break from the inflationary rate of his or her tax bills while the weak economy tries to recover.

“Obama has zero interest in lowering tax rates,” said Washington Post columist Charles Krauthammer. “He just got through raising them at the fiscal cliff and has made perfectly clear ever since that he fully intends to keep raising taxes. His only interest in eliminating loopholes is to raise more cash for the Treasury — not to use them to lower rates.

“He wants to be remembered for a man who changed America — that’s what he said. He started with Obamacare, and now this litany of programs. You know, he says,’ You can’t cut your way to prosperity.’ This speech is about spending your way to prosperity.”

It seems as though our governor, the same guy who gave himself an F while serving as a U.S. senator, is now confidently proposing more taxes. He wants to tax clothing and virtually anything that moves or is not currently taxed.

This notion that taxing during a weak recessionary recovery while facing down forced spending, which will mean more unemployed workers across the nation and around the state is lacking any kind of reason.

Keith Hansen

“We’ve got so much taxation. I don’t know of a single foreign product that enters this country untaxed except the answer to prayer.”

Mark Twain