Tennessee TaxPayer's Angels
Senator Marsha Blackburn
Representative Mae Beavers
Representative Donna Rowland
The "Bad Guy" - so similar to Boss Hogg it's scary.
Posted on 05/22/2002 8:08:44 AM PDT by tnpatriot1
The Tax Vote! Wednesday could be the day for income tax vote
James Lewis
May 21, 2002
When lawmakers gavel the state House of Representatives to order tomorrow, a new state income plan could come up.
The bill, alled "The Naifeh Bill", could change Tennessee history and impose a four-and-a-half percent state income tax.
Some sources are saying that it's a done deal, favors have been exchanged and the income tax will be voted on tomorrow.
But not everybody is in agreement.
Knoxville Republican Jamie Hagood says she sees plenty of wiggle room. "As we have seen, things change literally by the hour. They can change overnight and so I think as constituents are watching and paying attention to what's going on here in Nashville, I think they ought to keep a steady eye."
As last week's House session ground on, it became evident that something was missing.
Turns out, it was the black caucus, holding back votes for a number of reasons, one of them being a temporary sales tax increase.
Memphis Democrat Kathryn Bowers says she's prepared now to swallow the bitter pill.
"It might be the first time that we put a temporary tax in place and it stayed temporary but I'm going to be here hopefully to make sure that it will be temporary and it will not be reinstated when we come back in January of next year."
But Democrat Gary Odom of Nashville says lawmakers need to do something, one way or the other. "The income tax needs to be voted on, up or down, and then we need to get on about our business. If the income tax proponents are successful, then the Senate's got to take up the issue. If the income tax fails on the house floor, then we need to roll upour sleeves and start looking at options."
But even even if it clears the House, there is an uncertain future in the Senate, although some sources say its chances are good.
The House meets at ten o'clock Wednesday morning. Channel 4 News will be there from start to finish.
I live in MN, welcome to my world.
A sales taxes increase AND a new income tax.
Tennessee TaxPayer's Angels
Senator Marsha Blackburn
Representative Mae Beavers
Representative Donna Rowland
The "Bad Guy" - so similar to Boss Hogg it's scary.
Dittos here. We're screwed by Democrats and their taxes. Taxes never go away, they just get bigger and bigger. They go up, up, up.
Once a Democrat politician has that income tax opening, you're toast!
I can think of a few Republicans that like to spend money too.
Any politician would gladly have ALL our wages sent to Washington so they could "take care of us." :-P
The income tax bill ("Ink-'em Tax") is very cleverly calculated by its proponents to exclude (exempt) virtually every state employee and member of teachers' unions and other political sway groups. It does this by setting up the floor for paying the tax at just above the amount of money earned by 96% of those in the aforementioned groups - while all the while giving members of that group a sales-tax cut. And, as proponents say, "it's ONLY 4 1/2%!"
Yeah, right. But NEXT year, if this passes, that 4 1/2% will creep to 4.55% and the exemption amounts will gradually creep as well until everyone and his dog is paying it. As we say around here, "4 1/2% IS ONLY THE BEGINNING."
It's amazing to watch media coverage of this little charade, as NO ONE who would point out that 4 1/2% is just the starting point is allowed on the air. It's being cast in terms that 4.5% is THE rate until the Sun burns out. Astonishingly, the local TV's aren't leaving out that part due to ideology - they're generally pretty hard on both parties - but due to time constraints and a desire to paint the story in the simplest of terms. Telling people that it ain't gonna STAY at 4.5% only elicits the response, "Yeah, but it's 3.4$ NOW, isn't it?"
There are numerous scary things about this Ink'em Tax bill. One is that capital gains would be taxed - 50% of your capital gains would be subject to the 4.5% tax, for a 2.25% effective tax rate. Second is that a proposed cap on how big the tax rate could grow to could be easily repealed next year or at any time. Third, it's being sold in combo with a rollback of sales tax rates. How long do you think THAT will stay in place? Not long. Next year, the sales tax will be scooched back up until, in 4 years or so, we've got BOTH the Ink'em Tax AND a high sales tax.
Michael
I will go back later if it's still going on. I doubt they are going to let it go to darkness again like 2 years ago.
Big personal irony for me today. I have a business meeting at 3 today with the managing partner in Rochelle's law firm in Lebanon. I feel like a traitor, I wish I could cancel it but a number of folks are counting on me to be there. The lawyer in question is not sympathetic to Rochelle.
Middle Tenn is a small world.
This is going to be close.
Tennessee National Guardsmen with M-16 rifles Lock Down Capitol
This crowd is growing and growing! The Interstate highways around the area have Metro Police and State Highway Patrol units idling along the shoulders near the capitol for easy access if they are called in. It has just been announced on the radio that they have locked down the capitol and it is now ringed with TN National Guardsmen with M-16 rifles with fixed bayonets!When "the servants of the people" have so separated themselves from those they are under oath to honor and serve, that they have hedged themselves from public outcry with a ring of steel... then it is obvious that these are not "servants" but "tyrants".
I have no sympathy for such as these. Nor should the good people of Tennessee.
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