True North

Saint Paul - unable to balance its budget without getting an eternal subsidy from the parts of the state that aren’t saddled with bills from decades of Tic management - is a perennial financial mess.

The Republican National Convention, coming to town in September, should be a financial windfall for an awful lot of regional - not just Saint Paul - merchants, restauranteurs and hoteliers. Saint Paul’s city government certainly doesn’t mind the extra traffic coming to town, although we know where the Gang of Five’s hearts really are.

But I digress. With the “Gang of Five” in office, the RNC would also seem to be a big ripe suck for a city administration that never saw a tax it didn’t like.

St. Paulicy, as usual, has the story:

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.

On the one hand, but for a few demonstrably Republican-friendly restauranteurs and bar owners in Saint Paul, I’d be tempted to try to find a way to direct delegates and their money elsewhere in the metro for their dining and lodging needs (and, ironically and hilariously, leave the city’s overtaxed hotels and food to the media and the protesters).

On the other, it’s a great warning about what awaits this nation should the Tics win in November. Everyone who’s not a ward of the state is a target of the state!

Cross-posted at Shot in the Dark.