Round Lake, MN-- job losses (Minneapolis: taxes, standard of living, housing)

[disneyrecords]

Looks like the hemorrhaging of jobs in rural Minnesota continues to be brutal Candy maker to cut 175 jobs in Minnesota - TwinCities.com The jobs are going to Tennessee and Texas. Gee, I wonder why? Why can't this state realize they need to lighten up on business or risk chasing them out. I know this is not the popular view on this forum; I suspect many people view companies as "evil." High taxation is considered "hip" here in the twin cities. Down with Capitalism, right? At least until it affects your job.

My point and then I'll let it go, people in Tennessee and Texas I bet are thrilled to get these new opportunities. Go ahead, tax us away. We have big welfare and don't need these stinkin' jobs!

[MplsTodd]

I'm not sure if taxes were the main factor behind the move. An article I read (I think it was in Finance & Commerce) mentioned that the distribution/warehousing operations were being relocated to save on shipping costs.

I don't think many people (if any) consider high taxes to be hip. I want my tax dollars to be well-spent. I don't mind paying more than other states if we get higher quality education, better parks, and have fewer people with critical social ills. I do agree though that in our globalizing society, its difficult for some businesses to afford a higher tax burden, when other states offer much lower taxes. This disadvantage traditionally has been more than offset by the high quality of the upper midwest's labor force.

[Haver]

If you want to dance around with straw men there is a political forum
at this link. This forum tends to be a bit more reflective and understanding of other's opinions.

There is, of course, a constant dance between the low tax/low service economic model and the high tax/high service model. Both can be successful, but my personal belief is that the latter produces intangible benefits which indirectly lead to both a higher standard of living and a better community to live in, or else the high tax/high service model would cease to exist as a practical reality - San Francisco, Minneapolis, and New York City disappearing in a puff of libertarian logic. I also believe with the ready availability of guns its probably for the best to have fewer, not more, desperate citizens and so the need for tax-supported "programs" to mainline the less fortunate into being productive citizens instead of casting them away to "fend for themselves".

Just a thought.