Transformed Using "Kamala Harris" by Gage Skidmore https://flic.kr/p/RY8Rd4 - "Governor Tim Walz..." by Lorie Shaull https://flic.kr/p/2cYJKeN
Kamala Harris’ VP-pick Tim Walz should take notes from Republican Governors like Jim Justice. As Governor, Walz consistently increased taxes and spent record-setting sums. His track record stands in stark contrast to Governor Jim Justice, who has proven himself to be a model tax-cutter and taxpayer ally.
When he first became governor in 2019, Tim Walz tried to enact a budget that would have raised gas taxes by 20% and increased state spending by billions.
In 2023, Tim Walz blew through Minnesota’s $18 billion budget surplus. To compensate, he enacted a slew of new taxes, including the payroll tax and retail delivery tax, as well as hikes on existing taxes, such as the motor vehicle sales tax and the state corporate income tax.
As if to add insult to injury, the governor of “the land of 10,000 lakes” oversaw increases in registration fees for watercraft, including non-motorized craft like canoes and kayaks.
All of this has come at a steep price. Minnesota is losing about ten households earning more than $200,000 for every six that it gains. Minnesota also ranks 44th on the Tax Foundation’s business tax climate index.
Tim Walz’s career as a serial tax hiker also extends to his time in the House of Representatives.
As a Congressman, Tim Walz played a key role in passing House Democrats’ 2009 cap-and-trade legislation, which sought to impose an arbitrary “cap” on the amount of carbon emissions companies are allowed to produce.
Had it not failed in the Senate, this legislation would have resulted in a tax increase totaling $646 billion dollars over its first ten years.
Unlike Tim Walz, Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia has consistently taken the side of taxpayers by lowering his constituents’ tax burden.
Last month, Justice announced a 4% income tax cut after state revenue collections exceeded estimates by $826.6 million. Similarly, in 2023, Justice passed a 21% personal income tax cut when the state recorded a tax surplus of $1.308 billion, putting West Virginia’s income tax on the path to zero.
A pledge signer as Governor and now candidate for U.S. Senator, Jim Justice continues to demonstrate his desire to put money back in taxpayers’ pockets.