The latest affront to the economic liberties of Hennepin County residents comes in the form of a new tax-sharing agreement. If there are any questions as to what it is, it is exactly what it sounds like. It is only unfortunate that this story will be buried and made distant from the consciousness of most people.

New financing for the Target Center’s debt and funding for citywide neighborhood programs in Minneapolis are the stated reasons for this new agreement. The money is to come from taxes paid by non-Minneapolis Hennepin County residents to Hennepin County for Hennepin County purposes but will later be siphoned off into Minneapolis’ treasury for Minneapolis’ benefit.

It sounds like some people need to study up on civics.

One of the most important features of our political system is that the elected officials who are spending public money must spend it in a way that benefits all equally and must be the same elected officials who can be held responsible for their decisions should they fail to do so. In this case, there is absolutely no accountability for this money because power over that money has been transferred from the county commission which can be voted out of office by Hennepin County residents to the Minneapolis City Council, a body over whom Hennepin County residents have no power to vote out. Once this system of accountability is undermined by underhanded schemes such as this agreement, there will be no accountability at all. We can expect Minneapolis to keep coming back for more and more money to fund increasingly numerous and ridiculous projects that would otherwise not be approved.

And this is another example of the abuses of powerful government. It accompanies example after example, program after program that have been exposed for committing the exact same crookedness as this agreement: the taking of money meant to benefit everyone in a given area equally and giving it to one favored group or another who have the favor and clout enough to perpetrate such rip-offs.

In Hennepin County, now is the time to wake up and keep a watchful eye on the county commission. Should the commission approve this, Hennepin County taxpayers will be forced to prop up Minneapolis, who by the way feels they deserve this money.

And if the commission approves of this, that body should be sent an unmistakable message that clearly demonstrates disapproval.