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DEL.ICIO.USPerdue expects more need for state services, end to major tax cut consideration
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Despite the down-tick in the economy, Gov. Sonny Perdue said that the folks who work in food stamps and public health programs haven’t seen an uptick in the number of people needing services.
But he’s expecting that to change. Traditionally, food stamps, Medicaid and other programs to help the poor see an increase in the number of people needing help during a recession. Also colleges and technical schools usually get an enrollment boost because jobs are harder to find, so teens and the 20-something set stay in school. Perdue also expects the shaky state of the budget - with spending cuts likely unless the economy turns around soon - to squelch talk of a major tax reform or tax cut next year.
The original plan proposed by House Speaker Glenn Richardson last year - swapping property taxes for an enhanced state sales tax - might have been a fiscal disaster this year if it had been in place, according to critics of the plan.
Sales tax collections were down 8.6 percent during the final quarter of fiscal 2008 compared with the same period in 2007. Sales taxes are currently the second most important source of revenue for the state, just below income taxes. With the economy slowing, sales have fallen faster than income.
That is exactly the scenario that critics of Richardson’s plan warned of.
—James Salzer
Jim Galloway is out of town, but will return soon. If you’ve got news, pop an e-mail to our political team: editor Susan Abramson at sabramson@ajc.com; staffers Aaron Sheinin at asheinin@ajc.com; James Salzer at jsalzer@ajc.com; and Ben Smith at bsmith@ajc.com.
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Comments
By Reagan
July 17, 2008 6:55 PM | Link to this
How ignorant are you people. EVERY time you cut taxes you generate more revenue for the government. EVERY single time it has been done this is the outcome.
How stupid are you to say that now is not the time to consider tax relief.
Now is the time
Pull yourselves out of the 1st grade understanding of economics
By Churchill
July 17, 2008 8:53 PM | Link to this
Reagan, I have given this topic a lot of thought. Why do the libs continue to push for higher taxes when all the empirical evidence points to the futility of their argument? Why do they continue to think that larger government is better government? Why do they ignore all the facts that history has laid out before us?
I have come the conclusion that liberals do not buy the American Dream. They do not think that self reliance is the way to go. They, through their policies since the 1930’s, do not trust the average Joe. In the mind of a liberal, we are rubes bouncing around the country and it is their responsibility to prevent us from self-destructing. It is their job top do our thinking for us. It is their job to make things “equal and fair.” In order for them to “shape” our lives they need cash. Therefore, their thirst for taxes.
Liberals view monetary success as something to be ashamed of. They believe that those who have worked hard and have had monetary success are simply winners of “life’s lottery.” Success, in the lib mind, has to do with chance, not effort.
You see, if people are more self-reliant, the less they need the government and ergo the less they need liberals In the lib mind, taxes must be confiscatory to keep things “equal.” We must all either be rich together, or we must all suffer equally together. Some made of heard of this, historically, it has been called Socialism. Liberals want us to need government.
They believe in their government the way that normal people believe in God. In fact, they have replaced God with their form of government. Libs must confiscate the gains of the individual to pay for the needs of those who do not avail themselves to the opportunities this country offers, although they are trying to get rid of those opportunities every time they screw around with taxes. In order for liberals to keep power, they must make sure that there will always be a large number of “victim” voters. Voters that have been taught to be distrustful of our country. Voters who have been told, by liberals, that life sucks. That the country sucks. That our history sucks. That our power and success as a nation sucks.
Hell, if I bought into that line I would be poor, miserable, lonely, victimized, and a registered Democrat too. Peace.
Viva McCain
By Aaron Burr V. Mexico
July 17, 2008 8:54 PM | Link to this
There you go again.
The climate change is getting worse because of human actions. Not just nature.
Real GNP Per Capita for everyone besides the upper 1% of the population has gone down and down and down and Republicans have held power sufficiently to continually lower taxes for the last 8 years.
The government isn’t earning more money. They’re borrowing more money.
Response: “Blahblahblah-War.”
Response to the Response: “Blahblahblah-They got us into it. They kept us in it. They plan to keep us in it.”
Response: “Blahblahblah-Communist!”
Response to the Response: Adam Smith believed some government intervention was necessary to make capitalism work. Have you actually READ the Wealth of Nations?
By Churchill
July 17, 2008 9:13 PM | Link to this
Yes, some government. Some. Not all government. Libs want all government, all the time.
P.S. The climate changed long before humans every exhaled on breath of CO2.
By Globalwarmer
July 17, 2008 9:30 PM | Link to this
I went outside to fart and burp. Will the Demoncratic party raise my taxes? I am sure that I expelled some methane, Co2, and garlic into the atmosphere, I ate Italian food earlier.
By Not po' any mo'
July 17, 2008 9:54 PM | Link to this
I never got a job from a poor man.
By Rev Al Sharpton
July 17, 2008 10:13 PM | Link to this
Me either.
By Rev. Jesse Jackson
July 17, 2008 10:23 PM | Link to this
I want the gov. to raise taxes as much as I want to cut Obama’s nuts off.
Please donate to the Rainbow/Push Coalition.
Thank you my N@@@@’s
Jesse
By GW Jesus
July 17, 2008 11:36 PM | Link to this
The lord is my crutch there
By Rev. Wright
July 18, 2008 1:02 AM | Link to this
Whitey must be punished. Obama will get what is ours. Watch out honkies and crackers you are going to get what is coming to ya.