Never let it be said that the Republican-dominated Georgia Legislature missed an opportunity to try to sneak their ideology-driven agenda past the people.
Today, the Georgia House Rules Committee is considering a proposal to reinstate a 4% sales tax on groceries, which had been eliminated during Zell Miller's governorship as a way of reducing the tax burden on lower income people.
So what is the Republican justification for putting back this tax? They argue that it is needed to make up for revenue lost due to the recession, and they claim that it will be 'revenue neutral' since it will be offset by a tax credit for those who file state income tax returns.
Come on, we didn't just fall off the turnip truck. You don't get something for nothing. It's got to affect somebody.
So, who do they think it will affect? They say it will affect out-of-state shoppers and other people who do not file income tax returns.
OK: so we'll catch all those folks who come across state lines to buy their groceries (all 3 of them) and we'll stick it to those deadbeats who don't file state income tax returns.
But if it's a tax credit, you have to pay state income tax to get any benefit from the credit, no? So the people it's really aimed at are those who do not owe any state income tax. This will be quite a large number of not only poor but lower income people, or those with large deductions; and it will include the majority of people living on retirement income, most of whom do not owe state income tax.
Exactly the groups that you would think Republicans devalue: the poor and the elderly. In other words, they're engaging in what they have called "class warfare" when the Democrats want to do the opposite and increase taxes on those making more than $250,000.
It's their old tactic of taking from the poor to benefit the rich. And trying to make it sound like a good thing. The idea, out-of-state people taking advantage of us to buy their groceries here !!!
Ralph
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The level of fiscal acumen being displayed these days is relatively depressing. The absurdity you point out here is happening everywhere at the State level, as State Revenues plummet. I think the deepest level of thought is "the squeaky wheel gets oiled." The people who suffer the most are the most likely to be hit and the least likely to "Squawk."
ReplyDeleteGood news !! This stupid bill died in committee. Supposedly there was a big negative response from the public.
ReplyDeleteTo make it even more absurd, at the same time one Republican legislator was trying to tax groceries, another introduced a bill to eliminate the ad valorem tax on cars.
ReplyDeleteGet it? Tax what poor people can't do without (food) and eliminate the tax on what many of them don't have (cars). Plus -- the wealthier you are, the more cars and more expensive ones you have, so guess who benefits the most?
These are the same folks who want to eliminate property tax in general and substitute higher sales tax. These two bills are part of the strategy.
I think Obama is right. One of the most urgent needs we have is to improve out educational level -- not so much so we can compete globally but so maybe a few more people will be able to realize that they're voting against their own best interests when they elect Republicans.