The tax debate

Gov. Tim Pawlenty is planning to veto a Senate bill that would put Minnesota's top earners into the heavily taxed bracket in any state. The DFL-controlled Senate approved a nearly $1 billion income tax increase last week. It is designed to pay for education spending.

To talk about how the proposed top-tier tax bracket would affect the state, All Things Considered host Tom Crann called on individuals on both sides of the issue.

Joel Kramer, the executive director of Growth and Justice, Minnesota's progressive economic think tank, joined more than 200 wealthy Minnesotans who published an ad last year, asking the state to raise their taxes to pay for public services.

Bill Cooper is the chairman of the board and former CEO of TCF Financial. He was also the former chairman of the Republican Party, and he believes that tax cuts are the best way to help the economy.