The battle lines have been drawn
The battle lines have been drawn and they haven’t even been sworn in yet. For what it’s worth, I think that Petrus and Critcher are going to find out that they are way out of their league here. It is one thing to have gone head to head with the Republican Governor who had an embarrassing number of Republicans in the state House and Senate to help with his agenda, it’s another thing to butt heads with the newly and overwhelmingly elected Democratic Governor. A Governor along with a vast majority of those freshly elected or re-elected Democrats who ran and won on the face value of phasing out the oppressive grocery tax. Too many Democratic Legislators are beholding to the coat tails of Governor Beebe and Petrus and Critcher may put up a good fight, but in my humble opinion, the grocery tax will be phased out. Campaign promises and facing the voters in two short years will be a strong incentive for many Democratic Legislators to buck their Leadership and back Governor Beebe on this.
“The people of Arkansas followed this race pretty good. They knew what they were getting,” Beebe said. “I don’t think we need to underestimate their interest in this issue. I think that I was pretty clear throughout the campaign, and I think they’ve spoken.”
He said he would announce specifics of his food tax proposal on Wednesday, the day after he takes office. He acknowledged that passing legislation to phase out the grocery tax would be difficult without support from Critcher and Petrus but said he was cautiously optimistic he can enlist their support “before it’s over.”
Petrus said he wants tax relief but that everyone does not need it. Some Arkansans don’t need what he estimated would be a $99 savings from the food tax break while some need much more, he said.
“One of the flaws that I think you might see in that is, what keeps a retailer from eating that up? I mean, if a bottle of ketchup is 67 cents and the tax is 5 or 6 cents on that, what keeps that bottle of ketchup in a short period of time from being 69 or 70 cents? Then what you’re truly trying to accomplish never gets into their pockets,” he said.
Petrus favors an earned income tax credit for Arkansas’ working poor, though he did not say how much it would save them.
Critcher said he questions the wisdom of doing away a tax that brings in $250 million in annual revenue, although he expected Beebe’s food tax proposal to pass over his objections. He also questioned state estimates of an $843 million budget surplus and said he expects it to actually be much lower.
Posted on January 5th, 2007 by George Sand
Posted in Arkansas Politics. | EMail This Post
Comments
Comment from Delphi
Time: January 5, 2007, 9:42 am
Right you are, George! Even a legislator can understand that the people embraced the idea of removing the regressive tax on groceries. Petrus and Critcher will not be facing the voters again, but two-thirds of their colleagues will.
Comment from TheIron
Time: January 5, 2007, 12:15 pm
Delphi, you are right, George gets it and I wonder why Critcher and Petrus don’t get it? The people want this, a vast majority of the Legislators ran and won on it and now these two Bozo’s - are bucking it? What are they thinking? Trough fever!!!
My hopes are that when this legislation is presented it is a fiscally conservative phase out taking in the “cycle” of our revenue (ups and down). I also like the rainy day fund - I remember back in 2001 or 2002 when we had handicapped kids and their parents on the steps of the Capitol protesting, facing the loss of life sustaining help. It was ugly and I hope our state takes a little historical perspective in it’s phased out calculations.
Comment from the bold and the blue
Time: January 5, 2007, 12:20 pm
Bush promised tax cuts for the rich and was reelected, but that doesn’t mean we should support that.
Comment from the bold and the blue
Time: January 5, 2007, 12:22 pm
Comment from Parting shot
Time: January 5, 2007, 12:58 pm
Got questions for this debate. Anyone know what the minimum taxable income is in Arkansas? And anyone know how many pay no income taxes in Arkansas?
Comment from Anonymous
Time: January 5, 2007, 5:47 pm
Critcher and Petrus are not trying to defeat the Governor simply voting their heart trying to do the right thing for the state. Beebe will win. He needs it to seem like a fight so he can be a great victor.
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