What happens when you tax the rich and raise the minimum wage?

What happens when you tax the rich and increase the minimum wage?     You get one of the best state economies in the country:   Minnesota.

Thanks to Walter Einenkel of Daily Kos for this:

"When [Democratic] Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton took office in 2011, Minnesota had more than a $6 billion dollar deficit and an unemployment rate of 7%.  Today, Minnesota's unemployment rate is now below 4% and they have a budget surplus of over $1.2 billion dollars. . . .  

"During his first four years in office, Gov. Dayton raised the state income tax from 7.85 to 9.85 percent on individuals earning over $150,000, and on couples earning over $250,000 when filing jointly -- a tax increase of $2.1 billion. He's also agreed to raise Minnesota's minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2018, and passed a state law guaranteeing equal pay for women."

Minnesota now does have the 4th highest top income tax rate.   But it also has the 5th lowest unemployment rate, and the median income is $8,000 more than the U. S. average.

This is a major challenge to the Republican mantra that increasing the minimum wage with destroy jobs and hurt the economy.   And that higher taxes on the "job creators" will kill jobs.

That tired old trickle-down economic theory is just wrong.  And the Republicans continuing to insist on it -- against evidence to the contrary -- is hurting this country.

Just compare what's happening in Wisconsin, Minnesota's neighbor to the south, under Gov. Scott Walker's austerity economy.   And Kansas, a little further to the south.    They have both slashed taxes -- and services.   Their economies are not helped by it, and those who need the services are suffering.  

Ralph