RELEASE:
STATEMENT FROM MISSISSIPPI DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN BOBBY MOAK ON THE ISSUE OF THE STATE’S TAX STRUCTURE AND BUDGET REFORM COMMITTEE PROPOSAL
Yesterday, the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House held a press conference during which they announced that they were launching a comprehensive look at the state’s tax structure and budget issues in hopes of meaningful “reform.”
I applaud them. The first thing you have to do is to admit that you have a problem.
The citizens of Mississippi have been aware of the problem for quite some time, though. The Special Session, cuts to agencies, taking $110 Million Dollars from the Rainy Day Fund, and the continuing shortfalls to the current budget tipped us off.
Future tax cut legislation has not gone into effect, so its pending implementation only compounds the current budget problems this leadership has crafted.
The real issue here is that the “tax break legislation” favoring big corporations, which leaders said would create jobs, needs to be rescinded. It would be difficult to point to one company that has located here or said they expanded due to these corporate giveaway pieces of legislation pushed by our leaders.
It is time to join the rest of logical and reasonable Mississippians who believe their tax dollars should be spent on services for which they were originally taxed and not given away as campaign donation prizes to elected officials’ political backers.
7/15/16
Magnolia Tribune
