A year ago, I moved my family to Chattanooga from Minnesota. There were a number of factors that contributed to my decision — the winters certainly being one of them.
But in addition to escaping the frigid temperatures, I found I could no longer endure a political culture that was becoming increasingly hostile to my beliefs. Nor could I continue to support with my tax dollars a state government which burned through taxes spent on frivolous, utopian projects.
An example: the tens of millions spent building bike paths in the middle of downtown (you can bike in Minnesota a good five months out of the year). This provided the added benefit of creating even more traffic congestion due to repurposing traffic lanes. I’m sure this plan was sold as a way to reduce climate change. But with the reduced road capacity came thousands of additional minutes of autos collectively idling at red lights, the result being an actual negative benefit.
This is only one small example of the countless ways that Gov. Tim Walz and the far-left bureaucrats have displayed zero regard for the taxes contributed by hard-working Minnesotans. The total lack of fiduciary responsibility has converted an $18 billion surplus to a projected deficit. But as long as the money was used to advance their left-wing causes or provide handouts to their preferred constituents, it didn’t matter whether the project achieved its stated purpose. With the left, it is the intent that matters, not the results (unless, of course, the result is to continue to maintain and consolidate power).
And let’s not get started on the billions in fraud directly linked to a host of Minnesota social programs, all enabled with the tacit permission of Walz and the Democrat leadership. I’m not completely absolving the Minnesota citizenry of blame. They are, after all, the electors and have chosen this government, and by proxy the waste, fraud and abuse of their tax dollars.