April 1, 2011
No New Taxes. Period.
As the General Assembly begins to consider the governor's budget, Riborn hits the nail precisely under Marc's post:
No increases. Nothing. No new taxes. No new fees. No fee increases. Cut spending. Cut muni employee salaries, benefits, increase their medical insurance %, increase pension contributions of every state and municipal employee.
It isn't just that even one new item covered by a sales tax would open Pandora's Box to ever more more more in future budgets, though that is true and important. It's that what would be viewed as a "compromise" by some at the General Assembly - just implementing some of Governor Chafee's tax increases - is not a compromise at all in light of Rhode Island's current level of taxation: fifth highest state and local tax burden. A real compromise would be a lowering (BUT NO BROADENING) of the sales tax by addressing the real budget problem: the spending side of the ledger.
To quote Donna Perry quoting the hair salon owners,
Governor, on your tax plan idea, please just cut it out.
You have to be kidding. The people have spoken and they have returned the Bolshevik party to power as they have every election since 1934.
Posted by: Tommy Cranston at April 1, 2011 8:55 AMHence, property taxes, sales taxes and others will continue to go up. Period.
We deserve every bit of it.
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Posted by: usenturerty at April 3, 2011 3:44 AM