Grover Norquist and the "no tax hike" pledge
Lawmakers in Florida are trying to find a way to bridge a $3 billion budget shortfall, and the consensus at the point seems to be a sharp increase in the cigarette tax. The problem is that Governor Crist, the House speaker and the Senate pro tem, in addition to several dozen other lawmakers, have all signed a "no tax hike" pledge from the Americans for Tax Reform -- the organization created and run by Grover Norquist. The pledge requires its signers to "oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes." Six Arkansas legislators have signed it.
Several Florida legislators have contacted Norquist to ask if they can count some of the tax cuts they've made in recent sessions to offset this tax increase. "Nope," says Norquist. Others are trying to refer to the proposed tax as a "user fee" on an optional product. Good luck with that. Even Norquist says the "user fee" or "surcharge" language doesn't pass the laugh test. One legislator told the Miami Herald (off the record), “tell Grover Norquist to find us $2 billion and then I’ll worry about his freaking pledge.” Here's more.
Several Florida legislators have contacted Norquist to ask if they can count some of the tax cuts they've made in recent sessions to offset this tax increase. "Nope," says Norquist. Others are trying to refer to the proposed tax as a "user fee" on an optional product. Good luck with that. Even Norquist says the "user fee" or "surcharge" language doesn't pass the laugh test. One legislator told the Miami Herald (off the record), “tell Grover Norquist to find us $2 billion and then I’ll worry about his freaking pledge.” Here's more.
posted by Steve Harrelson @ 4/11/2009 12:49:00 PM | Permalink |
7 Comments:
Who in Arkansas signed it?
Sen. Glover signed it, as did five House members: J. Burris, Garner, Martin, G. Smith, and Woods.
Interesting. Norquist and his "no tax hike" pledge is very short sighted. I applaud those in the Arkansas legislature who declined to sign this pledge and instead achieved progress for Arkansas this session (i.e.-state trauma centers) even when it required additional revenue.
Standing on principle against any and all tax hikes should be applauded, not maligned. State budget shortfalls point to a problem in bloated state spending, and it's not the people's responsibility to provide a bailout to their government through tax hikes. Arkansas' cigarette tax, for example, was a terrible idea -- especially since there are more creative ways to create and fund a trauma system. And let's not forget that state revenue from cigarette taxes is a declining revenue stream and has been for years. Less and less people are smoking. It is simple economic principle, regardless of where one stands on taxes, to not tax a declining revenue stream. Eventually, there won't be enough money to fund this new trauma system as a result. And then, who's pockets will they (our state government) dig into next? That's the serious issue we're dealing with.
Dear "9 A.M. anonymous": It would be counterproductive to waste bandwidth debating your comments because I feel certain that neither of us would concede any points to the other. I will observe that as a lifetime Arkansan, I am more than tired of being 49th or 50th in many important categories, and I fear that your myopic view of tax hikes would keep up at those dismal levels forever.
If the smoking tax results in fewer smokers at the same time that it helps fund the development of trauma centers, then I am delighted -- a double benefit from the tax, both improving the health of Arkansans.
You still fail to recognize that eventually state revenue from the cigarette tax won't be enough to fund our trauma system, and then taxes will have to be raised somewhere else. When it comes to having a logical argument, your emotional appeal is just plain fallacious.
If Arkansas trauma system is like most everything else we do there never will be enough money. I'm afraid politics as usual will attempt to spread the money out too all communities. Maryland has in my opinion the premier trauma system in the US. One level 1 and only a few level 2 hospitals. Helicopters and trained medics too transport too these hospitals at the direction of a central control system. If a community doesn't have the trained personnel 24 hours a day all they need is a heliport. I'm not convinced our legislature understands what a good trauma system is.
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