Taxes & Revenue The Blueprint for Economic Sovereignty Send You the Bill ________________________________________ For decades, Minnesota has operated under a failing assumption: when government needs more money, it simply sends the bill to the people. That is not leadership. That is a permanent collection agency. My hard line is this: the era of government billing citizens for its own inefficiencies must end. Minnesota will transition from a tax-dependent government to a self-sustained government—one that generates its own wealth, enforces accountability, and sends the bill to the people who actually cause the cost. The End of the “Tax-and-Spend” Era ________________________________________ Minnesotans work hard. They budget. They plan. They live within their means. Government should be held to the same standard. For too long, tax increases have been treated as the default solution to every problem—regardless of whether spending was efficient, justified, or even lawful. When mistakes happen, the bill is quietly passed to working families. That ends here. If fraud is committed against Minnesota, we send you the bill. If laws are broken that cost taxpayers money, we send you the bill. If negligence, abuse, or mismanagement creates public cost, the public does not pay for it—you do. A Self-Sustained Minnesota ________________________________________ The goal is not to punish taxpayers—it is to free them. A self-sustained state does not depend on how much it can extract from citizens. It depends on how well it can operate, invest, and enforce responsibility. Minnesota will build a government that earns revenue, controls costs, and stops socializing losses while privatizing gains. When government generates its own income and enforces accountability, tax bills shrink—and eventually disappear. Market Participation: The State as an Investor ________________________________________ Minnesota will no longer sit on the sidelines while its people and resources generate wealth for everyone else. The state will strategically launch and manage revenue-generating enterprises in areas where Minnesota already has strength—clean energy, infrastructure services, technology, logistics, and public utilities. These ventures will operate at market standards with professional management and strict performance oversight. Instead of profits flowing to Wall Street or out-of-state interests, returns will flow back to Minnesotans through a dedicated Prosperity Fund. Self-Funding What Matters—Without Tax Hikes ________________________________________ Revenue generated by state enterprises will be hard-lined to fund long-term obligations—not absorbed into waste or bureaucracy. These funds will be used to support: •Public employee and educator pensions •Healthcare stability •Higher education access and workforce training •Infrastructure repair and modernization This replaces political promises with real money and real assets. Property Tax Reform and True Homeownership ________________________________________ Property taxes are not ownership taxes—they are occupancy fees. If you can lose your home because you cannot afford to pay the government for the right to live there, you do not truly own that home. My administration will begin decoupling schools and essential services from local property taxes and replacing them with state-generated revenue. As Minnesota’s self-sustaining revenue grows, we will systematically reduce—and ultimately eliminate—property taxes. True ownership means security, not a lifetime lease from the state. Education Without Zip-Code Inequality ________________________________________ No child’s education should depend on the value of surrounding property. By replacing property-tax-based school funding with state-generated revenue, we ensure that every district can afford experienced teachers, safe facilities, and modern classrooms. Education quality should be equal by design—not determined by geography. The Fairness Bridge: Fixing the System While We Build the Future ________________________________________ While we transition to a self-sustained model, the current system must stop protecting the powerful while squeezing the middle class. Corporations that use Minnesota’s roads, workforce, courts, and protections will pay their full share—without carve-outs, loopholes, or special deals. I will veto tax policy that narrows the base for political optics and forces working families to pick up the slack. Modernizing the Sales Tax—Without Raising Rates ________________________________________ Minnesota’s sales tax system no longer reflects the modern economy. Large exemptions allow high-margin luxury services to escape taxation while everyday purchases are fully taxed. That imbalance shifts costs onto regular families. Modernization means fairness—not blanket increases. Accountability Means We Send You the Bill ________________________________________ Accountability is not optional. It is a cost-control mechanism. Following failures like the $21 million Robbinsdale oversight, my administration will require real-time, independent audits of major state spending and revenue streams. If fraud occurs, we send you the bill. If contracts are violated, we send you the bill. If negligence creates public cost, we send you the bill. Minnesotans will no longer be the default payer for someone else’s wrongdoing. Labor Power in a Self-Sustained State ________________________________________ A government that pays for itself can afford to respect its workers. A self-sustained Minnesota will establish a $25 per hour baseline for education support professionals and essential public workers. Public pensions will be backed by real, productive assets—not political promises—ensuring dignified retirement is guaranteed, not debated. The Ultimate Goal ________________________________________ Minnesota was built by people who knew how to make something from nothing. It’s time our government did the same. This is not just tax reform. It is a new operating system for the state. We stop billing the people. We start earning our way. And when someone costs Minnesota money through fraud, abuse, or negligence— We send you the bill.