Yeah, he’s the next coming of Tip O’Neil:)
Here’s the thing that I wish all of the candidates, media and supporters would acknowledge: states have rights to provide services for taxes that the federal government does not. I have asked this question several times, but here goes again: The reason AR had to raise taxes for their road system? Simple, they did not have savvy enough representatives or Senators at the federal level to earmark monies for the project like they did, say, in MA where the “Big Dig” got federal monies for 20 years or so. Which is more conservative - agreeing with 80% of the electorate that you need roads and then enacting a gasoline tax to pay for it, or just asking for an earmark in 3000 page omnibus spending bill?
If you are talking about Huckster’s phony claim that Arkansas spending went up because of roads ... well, that’s one of his flim-flam fibs ... Huckster create a program called ArKids, Govt helathcare welfare program, like the SCHIP program. That massively increased Arkansas spending and led to tax hikes, like the sales tax hike.
If you are talking about Huckster’s phony claim that Arkansas spending went up because of roads ... well, that’s one of his flim-flam fibs ... Huckster created a program in 1998 called ArKids, a Govt healthcare welfare program like the SCHIP program. That massively increased Arkansas spending and led to tax hikes, like the sales tax hike. That plus more for state public schools (hence the NEA endorsements) and higher spending overall. Huckabee’s F grade from Cato and his tax and spend record is not just about roads.
Instead, Huckabee bloviated about pheasant hunting and called himself an “authentic conservative,” but didn’t explain how an “authentic conservative” could have supported or raised as many tax hikes as he did as Governor of Arkansas. These include:
* Sales Tax, 1996 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/07/96)
* Gas and Diesel Fuel Taxes, 1999 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 04/02/99, 04/25/99)
* Sales Tax, 2000 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 09/25/02)
* Cigarette Tax, 2001 (Associated Press, 04/02/01)
* Nursing Home Bed Tax, 2001 (Associated Press, 06/25/01)
* Sales Tax, 2002 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/15/02)
* Income Surcharge Tax, 2003 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/09/07)
* Tobacco Tax, 2003 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/09/07)
* Internet Taxes, 2004 (Bond Buyer, 02/24/04)