COLUMBUS: I was in Minnesota last week, where Governor Mark Dayton says he wants to raise taxes on millionaires whether the state needs the money or not. New York and California are on the same track. If this tax-raising virus keeps spreading, we may run out of states for these rich folks to move to.

I spent one morning with the County Commissioners. I came away from their state convention convinced that if we let the local folks raise their own money and spend it on local needs, rather than trying to get some back after it’s been sent off to the state capital or Washington, why it would save enough on efficiency to make everyone better off. And counties might be smart enough to figure out ways to attract the wealthy, instead of run ‘em off.

Gov. Dayton means well, and I know he’s sincere. He and his family are heirs to the chain of Target stores so his new tax would take a chunk out of his pocket too. But there may be an ulterior motive: see, if he strips away enough excess cash from the wealthy, then like the rest of us poor folks they will have to shop at Target.

Iowa is the center of the Republican universe for the next three weeks. Basketball, Christmas presents and New Year’s parties will play second fiddle till the Republican Party wraps up their caucus election. But presidential politics won’t slow down the farmers. Hogs and Angus steers have to be fed, Holstein cows milked, and corn hauled to market.

I heard two comments on television this evening that might be classified as “motivational”. The first was, “Keep believing. Impossible things can sometimes be possible.” The second was, “Be persistent. It may take (a few years), but we will succeed.” The first speaker was quarterback Tim Tebow after another come-from-behind win by the Denver Broncos. The second was President Obama talking about job growth and the economy. Nothing against the Broncos, but I kinda wish it was vice-versa. If you’re out of work, you don’t want to wait a few years for a recovery.

When three-fourths of Americans think the country is going in the wrong direction, maybe it’s time to grab the reins and turn the lead horse. Whether we yell “gee” or “haw” may not matter, just do it now, before we go off the cliff.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:
“You can’t have a picnic lunch unless the party carrying the basket comes.” DT #1714, Jan 21, 1932

“I generally give the party in power, whether Republican or Democrat, the more digs because they are generally doing the country more damage, and besides I don’t think it is fair to jump too much on the fellow who is down.  He is not working, he is only living in hopes of getting back in on the graft in another four years, while the party in power is drawing a salary to be knocked.” WA #100, Nov. 9, 1924