Over the weekend, Congressional Republicans echo Hal Rogers' take on no tax pledge

Comments

• Bill Huff wrote on November 26, 2012 11:48 AM :

  When it comes to per capita debt, ONLY New York and it’s 19 million population & Masseuechetts with it’s 8 million population LEADS Kentucky’ 4 million population debt load.

  From 1994-2012 majority of KY’s elected officials cut state tax resources (income) without cutting state tax expenses! Norquist’s “pledge” empowered them to abandon working for best interests of their constitutency!

  In 1994 KY lawmakers continued spending more than state’s income.

  1994 Ky lawmakers were warned by Long Term Policy Research (their own state agency) that average state expense was 6% while average state tax resource (tax income) was 5.7%. KY lawmakers dismissed warning!

  In 1999 Ky lawmakers dismissed responsible monetary advice by eliminating $380 million more of Ky tax income absent ant cuts to state expenses. Some state expenses they could have cut as recommended in 1994 task for (Commisison On Quality & Efficiency) were:

  $350 million out of possible $750 million of state tax expenditures;

  $400 million of state corporate tax shelters;

  $150 million of non-merit paid state employees from executive, legislative & judicieal branches of state government including education and property tax administrations in addition

  KY lawmakers could have collected $300 million from approximately 200,000 Ky motor vehicle owners circumventing paying KY property & usage taxes;

  Eliminated truck weight-distance taxes after combining revenues from motor fuels, weight-distance tax with state truck registration fee revenues; (revenue neutral tax strategy)

  In 1999 Ky lawmakers disregarded 1995 Commisison On Quality & Efficiency task force recommendations to cut state expenses $1 billion dollars and 1995 Commission On Tax Policy to enhance state revenues!

  During 2000-2008 Bush administration passed Deficit Reduction Act in 1995—-by one vote at 1 a.m.—-that cut federal programs by dumping them on state’s like Ky, whose budgets were already suffering billion dollar deficits! Again. Norquist’s “1986 no tax pledge and Norquist’s influence on Bush failed economic policies that lost $12 trillion dollars of wealth in stock & real estate markets in 13 months. Norquist’s federal influence was to reduce size of federal government by dumping federal programs onto States’.

  Beginning 2013 KY lawmakers have not come up with a balanced plan of cutting state tax expenses and enhancing state tax resources to eliminate state budget deficits.

• Cat Balz wrote on November 26, 2012 02:04 PM :

  Hal’s pork ain’t free don’t you know. Is it true that Somerset is going to be re-named Rogerstown?

• ADW wrote on November 26, 2012 03:59 PM :

  Cut the spending. …taxes are not the answer. But it is too late I am afraid. Enjoy your freebies while they last. We kept the Republic a great while, but it is no more.