Republican Experiment Gone Wrong
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Republican Experiment Gone Wrong
Commentary By: Ronald L. Cain
July 8, 2010
This eight year Republican experiment has been a colossal disaster. Georgia citizens have seen their property taxes increased. In some cases, as much as 300 hundred present.
Local school systems have lost funding. Teachers have been fired. And curriculums reduced. And students attending Georgia’s state schools can expect to see their tuition raised by as much as 16 percent by the fall. The increases come after the state legislature cut more than $200 million from higher education.
In the final hours of the 2010 Georgia General Assembly, legislators amended House Bill 1069 to include language that eliminates the refundable portion of the low income tax credit. The credit, which ranges from $26 to $104 annually, is given to Georgians with incomes of $20,000 or less.
Low income Georgians spend a majority of their income, and therefore pay a large amount of sales tax. The refundable portion of the low income tax credit, which will be eliminated if HB 1069 becomes law, will eliminate that credit and make it more difficult for low income, older Georgians to make ends meet. Governor Perdue signed HB 1069 into law. Governor Perdue and the liberal Republicans could have considered better options to deal with our state budget crisis! But no, they put the burden on the backs of senior citizens and low income Georgians.
And while this small credit for senior citizens and low income Georgians was eliminated, corporations doing business in Georgia can claim certain tax credits even if they have zero corporate income tax liability. I say if corporations can do that, why cannot regular citizens get the same consideration?
And talking about tax breaks (corporate welfare) for corporations, how many millions did Governor Perdue and the liberal Republicans give away. And we the citizens have to make up through increased property taxes and sales tax?
To my knowledge, no legislative action is required to give away millions in corporate welfare. Before granting tax breaks to corporations, the legislature should vote on it. Better still, have a referendum and let the people vote on it.
As the argument goes, providing tax breaks, and other incentives, to corporations will provide jobs and raise the tax base. The argument sounds great. But if that were true, why are our property taxes being raised? Why are local governments raising sales tax? And they have these incentives programs where they give away millions to corporations to help pay the workers’ wages. Why should citizens pay a company’s workers’ wages?
And I see that Republican gubernatorial candidate John Oxendine, in his so-called “Contract with Georgia” proposes to ‘scrap the income tax.’ Oh, wow! That sounds great. But what is the catch? Who is going to pay the bills? Why, you are, of course. Local city and county governments will raise property taxes and sales tax. That may not be a big problem for those working. But for senior citizens (retirees) and low income Georgians, on fixed incomes, that will mean a big tax increase. That could mean choosing between buying food and buying needed medicine. Or staying in one’s home or being evicted because you cannot pay your property taxes.
It is time to end this Republican experiment that has gone terribly wrong. It has resulted in property taxes being increased, local governments increasing sales tax, teachers being fired, funds for education being cut.
It is time to replace these liberal -- make that ultra-liberal -- Republicans. (If they are only looking out for their own self-interest and giving away millions in corporate welfare, rather than focusing on the needs of the people and the state, that makes them liberals -- ultra-liberals.)
I voted early. I voted for Roy Barnes. Regardless of whom you favor for Governor, just vote ‘Democrat.’ We cannot afford another four years of these ultra-liberal Republicans who give away all our tax dollars and then raise our property taxes, sales tax, fire teachers and raise higher education cost.
(Cain is a free lance writer and a resident of Houston County Georgia. Cain was formerly a featured columnist with The Macon Telegraph newspaper in Macon, Georgia and other local newspapers in the area.
