More Pogemiller Propaganda?

From a party email:

Sen. Pogemiller and Rep. Marty Seifert debated on MPR's mid-day show. Sen. Pogemiller said many things, including a statement that there was no $2.2 billion surplus, and that the top 5% of Minnesota income earners do not pay their "fair share."

1. The MPR host did not point out information from MPR's own website, by MPR reporter Tom Scheck:

"Budget Surplus of $2.17 billion over next two years"
 
"Governor Pawlenty and state lawmakers have a $2.17 billion surplus to work with over the next two years. Finance officials are projecting a surplus of $1.038 billion through June of next year, and $1.132 billion for the following two years."

[Posted at 11:48 AM on November 29, 2006 by
Tom Scheck]

2. The MPR host did not point out that the 118,195 people in the top 5% of Minnesota income earners (those who earn over $146,809) pay 43.08% of income taxes.

3. The MPR host did not point out that the 2,126,934 people in the bottom 90% of income earners (those who earn under $105,451) pay 44.57% of income taxes.

4. The MPR host did not point out that the 472,652 people in the bottom 20% of Minnesota income earners (those who earn below $16,817) do not pay any income taxes. In fact, they each got an average of $142 in cash (in the form of refunds and/or credits) from the top earners for having such low income.

5. I guess it must be the 118,131 households in the second-highest 5% of Minnesota income earners (between $105,451 and $146,808) who are not paying their "fair share." They only pay 13.35% of the state's income taxes.

Sources: News archives for MPR at http://minnesota.publicradio.org/about/people/mpr_people_display.php?aut_id=62 and Table 2-2 at page 27 of the 2007 Tax Incidence Study by the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

I believe that Pogemiller's brand of "truth" was known as "Pravda" in the old Soviet empire.