We got to the heart of the matter today – taxes.

        Education, elections, gambling, and transportation are in our jurisdiction on the Ways and Means Committee.  But taxes are the most important and politically difficult decisions we make. 

         Briefings like today’s are informative; bill hearings are decisive. 

         Nonetheless, we began the discussion about revenues, with the participation of Speaker Busch. 

         For some advocates, it’s a question of how much money their proposal will raise.  As policymakers, our question is how much revenue do we need to educate our children, enhance our economy, and, in the words of Hubert Humphrey, care for those in the twilight of life, the elderly, and in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy, and the handicapped.

      —- 

           My diary next week will be from Florida.  I’m off to visit my mother and steal some strikes behind the plate at a baseball fantasy camp. 

           An audio slideshow from my trip to Israel is now at delsandy.com, thanks to my niece, Rachel.   (Go to Featured Video)

January 27