On Wednesday at Canton Concrete, candidate for governor Tate Reeves held a press conference at the small business to set the record straight on policy proposals made by himself and opponent Jim Hood.
“This business here is representative of thousands and thousands of small businesses around Mississippi,” said Reeves. “These small businesses around Mississippi, and this is a prime example of one, that benefits from having conservative legislators that understand what it takes to grow Mississippi’s economy.”
Reeves said throughout the campaign it has consistently been asked how to increase Mississippi’s economy. He said Hood has sent a mixed message in his current TV ads. Reeves said in several of Hood’s ads he talks about raising the taxes of Mississippians in order to increase business, but in the most recent one, his response ad, he says he doesn’t really want to raise taxes at all.
“My view is, if he’ll lie to you about his desire to raise taxes, what won’t he lie to you about,” said Reeves.
Reeves said Hood has criticized the Republican leaders for refusing to raise gas taxes calling it an “easy solution.”
“Well it may be easy for a lawyer who works in Jackson but I can tell you raising gas taxes is not an easy solution for these guys who drive these trucks sometimes 100’s of miles each day to go to work.” Reeves said he believes raising gas taxes would hurt Mississippi families and businesses more than anyone else.
Reeves said Hood doesn’t differentiate between the big businesses (that Hood and many democrats have criticized tax incentives for in the past) and the mom and pop small businesses. He says Mississippians should be prepared to see all types of employers taxed more under Hood’s plan.
“We believe that if you want more of something in Mississippi you need to tax it less,” said Reeves. Which he says is why the eliminated the cooperate franchise tax, an elimination that will happen over time.
Reeves said the biggest difference between himself (and Republicans) and Jim Hood (and Democrats) is that Democrats believe the government is entitled to 100% whatever you make. Republicans believe that the government doesn’t have anything that they don’t first take from something else.
“While there are core functions of government that we must fund, we believe that you know how to spend your money better than any governmental entity ever will,” said Reeves.
Sarah Ulmer
