Minnesota DFL gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Otto has latched on to the Bernie Sanders agenda, backing a regressive tax on carbon and a massive government takeover of healthcare. But Otto continues to willingly mislead voters, once again claiming that her plan to pass a carbon tax is somehow “not a tax.”
In January, Otto first claimed that her carbon tax is not a tax, tweeting, “Probably want to reread the plan. Not a tax.”
And now, at a DFL candidate’s forum in Rochester, Otto once again remarked that her energy tax plan is “not a tax.”
OTTO: “But there’s a twist in that we’re going to put a price on carbon. All that revenue is going to go to Minnesotans — it’s not a tax — in the form of quarterly dividend checks.”
Is Otto telling the truth? Both the media and Otto’s liberal allies correctly note that Otto’s plan represents a tax on hardworking families. CBS Minnesota describes Otto’s plan as “a tax on carbon emissions.” They note that Otto’s plan could raise the cost of a gallon of gas by 20 cents, raise the cost of natural gas by 40%, and raise electricity costs by 5%.
The left-wing Carbon Tax Center describes Otto’s plan as being “centered on a carbon charge that would begin at $40 per metric ton of CO2 and increase by 10% each year.” They call it as a “state-level carbon tax.”
Otto’s claim that her carbon tax is not a tax proves that she will say or do anything to try and mislead Minnesota voters.
CBS Minnesota: Rebecca Otto Going After Sanders Supporters
Of the six announced DFL candidates, State Auditor Rebecca Otto is making a big play for Bernie Sanders supporters.
In the 2016 presidential election, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton faced a much tougher than expected battle from the left with the candidacy of Sanders.
In Minnesota’s caucuses, Sanders crushed Clinton by almost 30 percentage points. So it’s not a surprise that one DFL candidate for governor is pushing hard for a Sanders-like agenda.
Otto is backing a tax on carbon emissions that supporters say would provide an incentive for companies to curb emissions that contribute to global warming. Critics say that plan would lead to dramatically higher fuel, electricity and natural gas prices.
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