Open Forum

I also feel bad that people at Potlatch will lose their jobs. I agree that no government official may directly create new productive jobs. That is where my agreement ends. The worst enemy of the working people, over the past 30 years, has been the Democratically controlled state Legislature. Mr. Coleman and other Republicans and independents have worked to make the state business climate more favorable for business to continue to expand and create new jobs. What have the Democrats done the past 30 years? They raised worker comp. taxes; they raised corporate taxes and everything one looks for in business materials has hidden taxes that make the business environment in Minnesota much less favorable than in our neighboring states.

Mr. Wellstone's "claim to fame" is "tax the rich corporations." One should be aware it is absolutely impossible to tax a corporation -- period! Any corporation must have a favorable rate of return or its stockholders will invest their money elsewhere and the corporation fails for lack of capital funds. Who loses from that? -- The workers! If a new tax is imposed on a corporation it must raise the price of the commodities it produces. Who pays that tax increase? -- The consumers! If competition will not allow a price increase the corporation either goes out of business or it relocates to a more favorable business environment. Who loses? -- The workers!

The Republicans have always been the "best bet" for the working people in Minnesota. It is just Democratic spin to suggest otherwise.

Potlatch would probably still be in long term operation if the business environment in Minnesota had been as good as South or North Dakota!

Robert Olson

Pequot Lakes