(With apologies to Stephen Stills, SPicy wonders if this might be the new theme song coming out of City Hall.)


SPicy is sorry to be taxing you readers today, but feast your eyes on this: 

Word came across SPicy's tipline last week that artfully crafts a new revenue stream for Saint Paul. SPicy is not shocked for it is the culture of this administration, more taxes.  The plan feels like a classic rock song – something you've heard before.  It wasn't really great then, sounds even worse now.

The plan is apparently to increase the food and/or drink tax during the time of the RNC convention.  While Mayor Coleman's heart will be in Denver – he realizes there will be a lot of fat cats and big wallets right here in the Capitol City when the RNC rolls into town.

As the city looks at a tight budget, SPicy can imagine how this idea emerged.

"We really don't like the RNC – but there are plenty of rich Republicans.  Like us Democrats, they like to drink too.  They like to eat, albeit better than we do.  And since there is not a lot in the way of an expanded tax base in Saint Paul – the city really needs to find some more money."

Bingo

St. Paul raises the drink and food tax just for the week of the convention.  When the evil Republicans leave – things go back to normal.  What's left behind is free money.  It's clean and easy.  No one gets hurt – and the GOP won't miss the extra ½ percent.

Fans of SPicy will remember that this is not the first time the Mayor wanted us all to pay more for a beer and a hamburger.  Last year the administration tried to sneak this through using shifty political tricks.  State Senator Mee Moua pushed the idea through a legislative committee way past bar time.  She was able to get it approved by an un-recorded voice vote only to have State Senator Tom Bakk take it out on the floor of the Senate at the last minute.

The plan that time was to raise the tax on all bars and restaurants.  This time – the focus seems to be only on the convention.  Yet as the tip line continues to buzz with emails about this bad idea, SPicy has a few questions:

- Will Senator Moua again wait until after bars close (2AM) to push through another new tax idea – or will she do this when people are actually paying attention?

- Will the tax be only on bars and restaurants in the core downtown area?  If so, does the Mayor's office really think RNC delegates are going to spend time at the Gopher Bar?

- Is it fair to make downtown bars who won't get an increase in convention business pay an added tax while places like Dixies, O'Gara's, and other bars who might get some convention business don't have to pay?

- If the tax is for the entire city, does the Mayor really think that The Cherry Pit, Tiffany's, Skinners, Tin Cups, or any other neighborhood bar will see any more business because of the RNC?

- Should regular citizens have to pay more for a beer because the Mayor wants to fleece people he has ideological issues with?

- Will the city compensate bars and restaurants for the costs of updating cash register computers for the changed tax?

- How will the city enforce the tax and what is the penalty for not complying?

- Can the administration come up with another way to raise money that does not include taxing bars and restaurants?

- Will the city actually turn the new tax off after the RNC leaves town?

Count on SPicy to stay on the case.  If the Mayor, Senator Moua, any other Council Member or Saint Paul Legislative Delegation Member would like to weigh in, SPicy will gladly keep a tally of your position as an addendum to this post.

Who wants to be first? tipline@saintpaulicy.com awaits.