The Neverending Story of Gov. Walz Being Careless with Your Money

Once again we’re talking about Governor Tim Walz’s tax rebate checks, because the only consistency you’ll find in the DFL is that they are irresponsible with money. First, the state taxes Minnesotans too much, and it creates a surplus. Then, Walz promises to distribute tax rebate checks to reward Minnesota taxpayers. Then, the checks were worth less than originally promised, and were distributed poorly and went uncashed, causing more tax rebate checks to be sent out. And then after all that, it turns out the tax rebate checks will be taxed.

Yes, you read that correctly. The tax rebate checks that were to make up for being taxed too much, will be taxed.

Walz’s administration missed the deadline to have tax-exempt checks by 15 days. Because of this incompetence, Minnesotans will have to pay up to $286 in taxes from the rebate checks. The checks themselves, at first promised by Walz to be $2,000 are now $1,300, so households can expect to give up ⅕ of the money owed to them. 

Minnesota had a $18 billion budget surplus, making a strong case for tax cuts, seeing as the government had more than enough to function. The rebate checks were a way for Gov. Walz to save face, by giving back some of the money to smooth things over before the 2024 election really kicks into gear.

Minnesota households can now only receive a maximum of $1,014. A single person making $30,000 a year in income pays $1,605 in income taxes. The checks, even before the federal tax, would still be unable to help someone who makes less than the cost of living anywhere in Minnesota. 

When you crunch the numbers, you realize that the tax rebates were nothing more than a political stunt to help get Tim Walz reelected. Instead of talking about how ridiculous the state’s budget has become and real tax reform, Minnesotans were lied to and told the rebate checks would make it all better. 

Gov. Walz is taking money out of peoples’ pockets and then offering a fraction back to them, and acting like it’s a great act of charity!

The rebate checks are a symbol of what living in Minnesota has been like under the rule of the DFL: empty promises for the sake of scoring political points.