TN TAX BATTLE: TAX REFORM (INCOME TAX) MAY HAVE DOOMED 4 INCUMBENTS

The Commercial Appeal ^ | 8/3/02 | Paula Wade

[GailA]

Tax reform may have doomed 4 incumbents By Paula Wade wade@gomemphis.com August 3, 2002

NASHVILLE - Four longtime legislative incumbents - all supporters of an income tax - were toppled in the state's primary elections on Thursday, and House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh apparently gained a Republican opponent for November through a write-in campaign.

Tipton County Republican activist Antonio Lopez believes he has mounted a successful write-in campaign to be the Republican nominee against Naifeh, with backing from the Tennessee Tax Revolt organization, targeting the legislative veteran because of his championship of state tax reform.

"It's not official (until it is certified by the county election commission), but by my calculations we reached more than the necessary 5 percent," said Lopez, who is chairman of the Tipton County Republican Party and a former special assistant to President George H. Bush. To get on the ballot, he needed 5 percent of the Republican primary voters within the district.

"I just felt it was my responsibility to find someone to run against him," said Lopez, who finally launched the write-in campaign himself when no one else was willing. He was in Nashville Friday meeting with Republican Party officials regarding strategy and financing for his campaign. Also late Thursday, three East Tennessee Republican moderates - Sen. Tommy Haun of Greeneville and Reps. Zane Whitson of Unicoi and Ralph Cole of Elizabethton - were beaten in the Republican primary. One Democratic House member, Rep. John White of Lawrenceburg, was beaten in the Democratic primary by former Rep. Calvin Moore.

Whitson, Cole and White all cast votes in favor of Naifeh's tax reform proposal, but Naifeh said it's too simplistic to assume that their tax vote was entirely responsible for the defeat. "It's kind of like saying TennCare is the reason for the state's budget crisis - it's only part of the whole picture," he said.

Haun, who never got the chance to cast a vote on tax reform, did vote for the one-cent sales tax hike that passed the House and Senate July 5, the largest tax increase in the state's history. That sales tax increase has been hugely unpopular in the upper corner of East Tennessee at the North Carolina border, where Haun, Cole and Whitson all had their districts.

But Haun, the plain-spoken chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, was widely known as favoring tax reform, and was defeated by local Republican activist Steve Southerland, whose candidacy was backed by Republican gubernatorial nominee Van Hilleary.

[GailA]

http://www.newschannel5.com/news/0208/02/07.htm

For Some, Tax Issue Haunted Ballots It was an issue in Thursday's primary elections that wasn't on the ballot.

Political analysts say the ghost of the income tax haunted many races and caused some lawmakers to lose their jobs.

Tax protestors said their message was heard loud and clear, making Thursday a bad night for pro income tax candidates in Tennessee.

House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh's push for an income tax led Tony Lopez, the head of the Tipton County GOP, to run for the Republican nomination at the last minute as a write-in candidate.

Lopez and Naifeh are old friends.

Naifeh said, "I didn't know friends ran against friends like this…that should not enter into this."

Lopez surprised many by getting enough write-in votes to qualify to run against Naifeh in November's general election.

"Anytime I have someone running against me, I worry," Naifeh said.

The anti-tax backlash also kicked some long time legislators out of office.

Three members of the House of Representatives, Republicans Zane Whitson, Ralph Cole and Democrat John White, and senator Tommy Haun, all income tax supporters, were ousted in the primary election.

Losing gubernatorial candidate Jim Henry did not support an income tax, but the state's highest profile income tax supporter, Governor Don Sundquist, endorsed him.

"Being associated with the income tax is bad…but being associated with Don Sundquist may have been worse," said Steve Gill, a conservative talk show host.

Two other legislators said the income tax controversy kept them from running for re-election. Senator Bob Rochelle and Representative Matt Kisber decided not to run, saying the public backlash was too much for their families.

Gill predicted the tax curse would also follow candidates into the general election in November.

[bourbon]

this is great news. you folks in TN are setting a great example of effective tax resistance for the rest of us in the USA!

[Joe Boucher]

Every state, federal, and local elected official should be wary. Vot tax hikes and look for new jobs. For most it would be their first real job. Govt. workers are a drain on society that contribute little if anything to society.

[randita]

This is the closest event akin to the Boston Tea Party that we've seen in a very long time--an excellent sign that at least some folks are getting fed up with paying for government's excesses.

[GailA]

Oak Ridger's defeated a referendum to spend $23M on pork projects too. In NOV we have a chance to bounce a few more tax and spenders!

For those of us who will have to hold our noses to vote for lamar (like me), just remember you are voting AGAINST tommy dashole.

[bourbon]

my in-laws live in Nashville and have participated in several of the horn-honking protests around the State Capitol. I'm so proud to have relatives that have participated in an honest-to-God spontaneous tax revolt. Kudos to all the good people in TN!

[gunnedah]

It is high time Americans take their country back from fat rich White cats and liberal rich Black and White cats.America needs a great revolution at the ballot box.Those in power have a resonable amount of reason to be affraid.What ISM is it that sends Billions of dollars overseas in foreign aid when they want pay Americans more than a bare living wage? What ISM is that that wants to start another slave movement. Fact is the Mexican labor America imports falls between slavery and indentured servitude.But we have to have that slave to do the dirty work the Average American is not willing to do any longer.
Why is the average American not willing to do,he is in effect not better educated but just the same he is smarter. Whose fault is it? The Democrats have created this system of welfare to promote non work and the Republicans have created this slave labor program to enhance the rich? So where does the average American come in.All of these classes of rich,poor and excetera make it just easy enough on us we dont want to be involved.The rich keep black and white America at each others throats to hide what is going on.The Democrats do it to keep the black vote locked in when in effect neither are doing it for the good of America.I say the rich are the same black,white,red,yellow or whatever. The fact is that it is the green that speaks and is in control.It is called money and who has it?There is no difference between Republican and Democrat they all have the same goal and that is SELF! I want Americanism or an American Party,to hell with Democrat and Republican.And getting back to the Mexican Labor movement both parties want it because of the vote.America is getting torn about with the same rules she laid down and I than the ABA for that.

[CWRWinger]

I take it the income tax has not become law in TN? The taxpayer revolt against the income tax has been successful so far?

[bourbon]

huh?

[usconservative]

It is high time Americans take their country back from fat rich White cats and liberal rich Black and White cats.

Class warfare at it's finest.

[genew]

...but Naifeh said it's too simplistic to assume that their tax vote was entirely responsible for the defeat.

If that doesn't give everyone a good idea how stupid Naifeh thinks the electorate is, nothing will. This condescending statist must be voted out. Vote Lopez!

BTW TennCare is a marxist abomination of the first order.

[Dales]

A Volunteer bump (although I have never lived there)

[VA Advogado]

Gail, does TN have term limits?

[IronJack]

All right you arrogant SOBs! Now the bill comes due. Find yourself another line of work because YOU'RE FIRED!!!!

[TomServo]

I take it the income tax has not become law in TN? The taxpayer revolt against the income tax has been successful so far?

You got it. :-)

[GailA]

Yes we were successful at beating back the tides of the evil and rabid rape of our income by the taxaholics.

[GailA]

Unfortunayely NO we don't have trem limits, except for governor. spendquist is gone in a few months.

[laredo44]

Gail, I have looked for and enjoyed your posts regarding this attempt by certain "leaders" to hijack democracy in Tennessee. Moreover, I congratulate you and the other tireless individuals who stood in the way of oligarchs and tyrannts in a symbolic duplication of that brave Chinese student who stood before the Communist tank in Tianennimen (sp?) Square. I am sick to death of those know-it-alls who use false means to become elected, then assert their "leadership" responsibilities compel them to behave undemocratically. They are wrong, and your efforts to thwart them make you a heroine.

Two other legislators said the income tax controversy kept them from running for re-election. Senator Bob Rochelle and Representative Matt Kisber decided not to run, saying the public backlash was too much for their families.

I've made this point before on your threads, but I want to make it again. The business of a democracy follows four steps.

1. The conception of a good idea.
2. The communication of that idea.
3. Convincing a majority the idea is worthy of enacting.
4. Enacting legislation.

Bob Rochelle and Matt Kisber will be sitting out future session of the legislature with the rest of the populace because they stubbornly refused to complete Step 3. Why should they? They were elected. They were leaders. No need to trouble the citizenry on trivial matters like an income tax.

They were wrong. They are wrong. And like the despots of the middle east, they appear to have no problem hiding behind their wives and kids. So, in addition to being wrong, they are despicable.

[gunnedah]

What you now have is class warfare,being covered up in the name of Republican or Democrat and being enforced with something they call "The Rule Of Law" and they also say its like the constitution a living thing. Yes it has to live and be adaptable to whomever is in power.To keep the masses under control.Wait until the hammer falls on you!

[VA Advogado]

You good tax people should see if you could get a movement going to get term limits. I guess you would have to amend the constitution.