Posted on 12/29/2007 5:00:21 PM PST by wastedpotential
“Why the Governor Raised Taxes “
So he ADMITS he raised taxes. He rather raised taxes, than cut spending.
This is a DEMOCRAT approach to budget — spend, spend, than tax, tax, and so on.
These guys are dishonest aren't they?!
These guys are dishonest aren't they?!
“Beer Tax: Huckabee opposed letting the tax expire (2006) — The tax was used to fund programs for abused and neglected children. Without the tax there would be no funds for those programs. “
It’s always “for the children”. Straight out of the Dem talking points.
Glad to know that he only raises taxes for programs and that he believes in a robust government as an active force in the lives of its citizens. Sounds pretty conservative to me. (Huge sarcasm)
Now, was this tax actually used to fund programs for abused and neglected children or not? Do you know? If it wasn't you may have some kind of point to make. If it was used properly, take it up with the Arkansas electorate.
Read the entire article.
BTW, Reagan also raised taxes while governor of California for things that states are supposed to do, not the federal government. Would it be more Republican to simply ask the Senators of the state to put the funding in as some earmarked, pork barrel project like the Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska or the Big Dig in Boston?
For those who want to be informed — the Club for Growth anti-Huckabee ad and their white paper on Huck’s record, WITH REFERENCES. Recommend actually READING it.
http://www.clubforgrowth.net/2007/12/ad_buy_increasedagain.html
http://www.clubforgrowth.com/2007/11/updated_huckabee_white_paper.php
Spending
The Club for Growth is committed to reducing government spending. Less spending enhances economic growth by enabling lower taxes and diminishing the economically inefficient political allocation of resources.
Under Governor Huckabee’s watch, state spending increased a whopping 65.3% from 1996 to 2004, three times the rate of inflation.[38] The number of state government workers rose 20% during his tenure,[39] and the state’s general obligation debt shot up by almost $1 billion, according to Americans for Tax Reform.[40] The massive increase in government spending is due in part to the number of new programs and expansion of already existing programs initiated by Governor Huckabee, including ARKids First, a multimillion-dollar government program to provide health coverage for thousands of Arkansas’ children.[41]
These large increases in government borrowing and spending significantly impede economic growth.
UPDATE: Huckabee is the only Republican presidential candidate to refuse to endorse President Bush’s veto of a vastly expanded and expensive SCHIP program.[42]
..nuff said
Mississippi, Puerto Rico and Arkansas share some things you know, and not just rice fields.
They could quadruple all tax rates there and the total tax "take" from the state's economy would still not crank them up to "average".
George Wallace worked the "bottom up angle" for years and years and was wildly popular with the people ~ they really did want taxes raised, public infrastructure improved (particularly the schools), and Alabama's image dramatically improved.
Be damned the idea that a liberal need be placed in the position to cut spending to meet lawful budget obligations....
Oh wait, he's a Republican.
I retract my statement.
I think you're letting your rhetoric about "tax cuts" drag you around the stall where you are in serious danger of being stomped on by the cows that give the milk.
Taxes on groceries, gasoline, nursing home beds, cigarettes, beer, and sales taxes are regressive taxes. They affect those of the lowest incomes the most.
$28,500
“Now, was this tax actually used to fund programs for abused and neglected children or not? Do you know? If it wasn’t you may have some kind of point to make. If it was used properly, take it up with the Arkansas electorate.”
These are all pathetic excuses.
This is no different, than if you say had a friend, who comes to you and begs for money, because she doesn’t have money for food for her child. So you give her money — then she spends it on booze and drugs, or whatever, and comes to you again asking for money “for food for her child”. The difference is, that you can finally come to your senses and stop giving her money, but when the government does it, you don’t have a choice, they keep taking money from you “for the children”, while wasting the take on whatever they want.
I'm a Democrat so I would tax business and personal freedoms to compensate for budgetary incompetence and then run for office again with a different slogan and repeat as necessary until I lose track of my political lies and lose all credibility and disappear into oblivion.
This is from the above "explanation" from the Huckabee site, that started this thread. He actually campaigned and initiated raising taxes -- he is admitting it, this is not a "Club for Growth smear". He obviously thinks that the solution to everything is more taxes. The state should live within its means, prioritize its needs, instead of raising taxes.
In Virginia, an "average" tax state, you hit the top state personal income tax rate at $17,000.
You have to make at least $90,000 per annum in New York, a high tax state, to reach the same levels of taxation as Arkansas and Virginia.
The trick is that each state has a variety of other taxing options, and they don't all go after tax revenues the same way. There are, of course, reasons for this ~ different economies, different costs, different industries, commercial operations, and so forth.
Just thought you'd like to know that the individual incometax rates were not (according to another poster on this thread) changed in Arkansas while Huckabee was Governor. They were, however, changed while Bill Clinton was Governor.
Citizens of Arkansas would consider themselves to be exceptionally blessed by God if they could get their personal income tax rates down to New York's level.
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