Bredesen won't raise taxes (he says)-won't cut them either
Governor Bredesen has threatened to veto (if it reaches his desk) a House proposal that would significantly cut Tennessee's basic food tax while raising the tobacco tax. Bredesen's excuse is that tobacco is a decreasing source of revenue. Frankly, this is hogwash, and Bredesen knows it. For all of the rhetoric coming from the State and federal government about quitting smoking, they do not want everyone to quit smoking for the revenue they are receiving from tobacco taxes, just as the State is receiving alcohol tax revenues or lottery revenues.The fact of the matter is that Phil Bredesen does not want to sign a tax cut that would benefit untold millions of Tennesseans, especially the middle class and the poor, into law. Jersey Phil says he will not raise taxes, but he will not cut them so that everyday working families can get a break either.
posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 11:31 PM
4 Comments:
They need the food tax as a carrot to push for an income tax at some later date. Many proposals this year would have cut the food tax based on different factors(I had one that cut it when the state had surplus revenue). They all were killed off by democrats who "care about the poor". Were the people for fair taxation there ? No,
the only goal is an income tax.
If republicans take over this year a food sales tax removal will happen rest assured.
I believe we are now seeing Prince Phillip making decisions based on his re-election, now that he has a serious opponent, Senator Jim Bryson.
Prince Phillip needs not to make the tobacco smokers mad and he thinks the people that eat food won't notice.
The soung of Governor Bryson, is a sound that sounds good to me.
The notion that the Democrats "care about the poor" as a collective entity is shot to Hades when we see the Dems' reaction to a proposal like this. Here is a proposal that would give real budget relief to millions of lower-and middle income Tennesseans who all have to eat, and Bredesen isn't willing?
I suspect Stacey is right-they need the high food tax to convince the peons they need an income tax.
Ahhh-the mind control!
Stacey;
"Removal?"
What does that mean, exactly?
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