October 10, 2006

Bredesen to Campaign For Income Tax Architect Rochelle

The Nashville City Paper reports that Gov. Phil Bredesen so desperately wants Democrats to regain control of the state senate that he "is going to especially help Lebanon attorney Bob Rochelle," the architect of the push for a state income tax, in his campaign to regain his old senate seat. Rochelle, pictured talking with Lt. Gov. John Wilder during the income tax debate four years ago, very nearly pushed the income tax through the state senate four years ago before quitting the senate after polls in his district showed him likely to lose to challenger Mae Beavers by a wide margin.

Rochelle still favors the state income tax. He again endorsed the income tax as recently as two years ago while serving as a member of the Tennessee Tax Structure Study Committee. Bredesen's desire to have Rochelle back in the state senate casts serious doubt on Bredesen's claim to not support a state income tax. Every second-term governor since Ned Ray McWherter has pushed for an income tax in their second term and now Bredesen is campaigning to bring the architect of the income tax back to the Senate.

The only sure way to guarantee Bredesen won't push for a state income tax in a second term is to deny him a second term.

Update: Today's Nashville City Paper has a story on the race between Rochelle and the true anti-income tax senator who replaced him, and a rather funny ad being run against Rochelle by the Republican State Leadership Committee.