More LA GOP hypocrisy Tuesday, May 21 2013
Truckload of LA GOP directives
Mark Ballard’s column in the Sunday Advocate is about the sudden change in the “Fiscal Hawks”/Democrats budget plan.
Initially, the plan targeted many existing tax exemptions for reduction by 15%. That part of the plan was suddenly dropped.
Ballard explains that the sudden change was a result of thousands of “robo calls” from the LA Republican Party and other groups to Republican leges.
Jason Dore, Executive Director of the LA GOP explained the message of the calls: They reminded Republican legislators that the party’s Prime Directive is “no new taxes”…. Sunday Advocate, May 19, 2013.
Bobby Jindal also proposed, during the current lege session, a massive tax increase. According to Jindal’s point man on the tax increase, Tim Barfield, businesses would see their taxes increase by $500 Million mostly via a new tax on services.
Despite the tax increase, there were no “robo calls” to Republican leges from the LA GOP opposing the tax. To the contrary, the LA GOP posted on Facebook a call to support the massive tax increase.
Also, this session, a constitutional amendment was proposed to raise $150 Million via a new statewide property tax. Businesses in Louisiana would have borne about 80% of the tax increase.
Despite the tax increase, there were no “robo calls” from the LA GOP reminding Republican leges about the LA GOP’s “Prime Directive” is “no new taxes.”
It appears that whether LA GOP opposes or supports new taxes is determined by who proposes the taxes. That’s not a directive – that’s hypocrisy.
C.B.
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