 | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
« A Different Kind of Jihad | Main | America's Entrepreneur-Driven Boom Rolls On » January 10, 2007Why It Matters that Wilder is Gone
For the first time in memory, the Republicans will have a majority on the powerful Senate Finance Committee, giving them more influence on how the state spends, or doesn't spend, its money.And more influence on how the state taxes the citizenry, too. With Gov. Phil Bredesen now saying he wants to increase the state's cigarette tax to pay for an as-yet unspecified new program - rather than couple it with a decrease in the state's sales tax on groceries, control of the Finance committee gives Republicans the leverage to force a food tax decrease in return for the cigarette tax increase, if they so chose. Beyond the cigarette tax/food tax debate, it's likely now that the Senate Finance Committee will no longer be the roadblock to a constitutional amendment to cap the annual growth of the state budget and return surplus revenue to the people, too. One assumes that new Speaker Ron Ramsey won't re-appoint state Sen. Doug Henry, the roadblock to that reform, to chair the committee. Things just got a lot more interesting at Legislative Plaza. Posted in Tennessee Government News
Comments
He was fun to draw when I did toons for the CityPaper. Everytime I see him I think of Grandpa Simpson. (Homer's dad) Posted by: C. Ousley at January 10, 2007 6:18 PMWhy is that every time some politician wants to fund a pet project they go after cigarettes? Where's the 100% increase in booze tax? Could it be be the liquor lobby has the politicians in their back pockets? Politicians use cigs as a cash cow to fund never ending programs while standing on their soapboxes proclaiming it will reduce smoking. In reality they know that history does not bear that out. What if tobacco use went to zero because of increased taxes? Then where would these hypocrites turn to continue to fund their petty economic black holes? Bredesen said he wants to increase the state's pre-kindergarten program each year of his second term so the state will have universal optional pre-K access by the time he leaves office. No, Bredesen wants to increase Pre-K until the citizens of this state are on the hook for $300 million per year in perpetuity for a government program that has not been proven to provide any benefits over the lifetime of the participants. And for Bredesen to claim the upcoming budget is less accomodating? When the state has been running hundreds of millions in surpluses since he was elected? While sitting on billions in fund accounts that are not being used? Some of which haven't had any activity in years? Does he get that attitude because of his carpet bagger philosophy believing we are all hillbillys? Bredesen is the perfect example that politicians will squander any excess while lamenting they never have enough. It's time for Tennesseans to begin buying pitchforks and not programs of puffery. Posted by: Rick Forman at January 10, 2007 9:41 PMPost a comment
Comments Policy: Your comment is subject to deletion if it is off-topic or includes foul language or personal attack. Readers, please email me if you find comments that include egregious violations of this policy. Comments may not post immediately - do not post twice!
|
|||||||||||
A single line in today's Nashville City Paper 