Strange Bedfellows

It seems that the only GOP candidate with the balls to defend the issue of privatizing Social Security is Liddy Dole. Has she been taking Bob’s blue pills?

KMK

NOTA For PRC Governor

Europeans Don’t Know Better

Some people have the impression that the Europeans are more sophisticated and knowledgeable than we poor slobs in the States are, such as in matters of taxation. A Value Added Tax (VAT) may sound appealing as a replacement for the corporate income tax; but it needs to be evaluated a little closer first. I’m not so sure about following the lead of the Europeans. If they’re so smart, why do they pay over four dollars a gallon for gasoline?

KMK

More Left Coast Socialism

California doesn’t have the monopoly on Pacific Socialism. Marxist Hillary-Care could be available in Oregon soon, costing taxpayers and employers a fortune. Hopefully, it will give us an advance look at how government provided medical care works before President Hillary Rodham can force it on the entire nation.

KMK

Investing In Sin

For several years, there have been investment funds that only put their money into morally acceptable types of industries. It was inevitable that there would be special funds covering the other end of the moral spectrum, the Vice Fund.

KMK

Radio Interview

The radio interview on the food tax measure went well. The only awkward part was that I had to do most of the talking without much give and take. That’s why I like doing seminars much more than straight speeches; the interaction with the audience makes a big difference. The host, Alan Archer, did an excellent job of staying on the fence and not advocating a particular side of this very controversial issue. But, that meant that he didn’t say much.

My interview, along with one with the Harrison Chamber of Commerce covering their arguments against the measure, are scheduled to be broadcast this Sunday, November 3 at 8:00 AM after the ABC newscast on 96.1 FM from Harrison Arkansas. I’m not aware of any way to hear it on the web. We aren’t morning people, so we will probably miss hearing it here.

KMK

Arkansas Sales Tax

I didn’t intend for this issue to dominate my schedule as much as it has. However, since agreeing to participate in the forum at North Arkansas College tomorrow, it has become the main focus.

We have been receiving a lot of phone calls, many of which bring up some of the phony claims being made by the opponents of the repeal measure. They have pulled out all stops in their campaign to portray those of us in favor of this measure as evil cold-hearted Libertarians who want nothing less than to shut down every government program and kick every needy person out into the street to suffer and die. It’s exactly how the DemonRats in DC, and their sycophants in the media, constantly portray Republicans.

A caller this morning said they were told that if this passes, all funding for public education will dry up and all of the schools will have to shut down. The fact that the schools receive almost all of their funding from property taxes, which have no relation whatsoever to sales taxes, seems to be overlooked.

I am scheduled to do an interview with a local radio station later this afternoon to present the arguments in favor of repealing the sales tax on food and medicine. They originally wanted me to drive into town, but they finally agreed to let me handle it over the phone.

I’m not going to bore everyone with every detail of this matter. However, since the issue is whether human food and medicine should be exempt from sales tax, I thought it would be interesting to see what kinds of things are already exempt from sales tax here in Arkansas. They don’t have an easy way to see all of the hundreds of special exemptions that are spread throughout these 106 pages of official sales tax regulations. However, they run the gamut. The one that has long struck me as an extreme example of the unfairness is in Section GR-45 on Page 53, where all foods and medicines for livestock and poultry are exempted from sales taxes.

Interestingly, none of those exemptions, that I am aware of, was placed there by the voters. They were all instigated by legislators who were doing favors for their “special friends” (aka big campaign contributors). I actually saw this very process in action back in 1995 during a trip to the Capitol in Little Rock with the Leadership Institute I was taking with the Harrison Chamber of Commerce. We sat in on some committee hearings where they were trying to pass special sales tax exemptions for specific companies. They were threatening to shut down and leave the State if their special exemptions weren’t granted.

If additional sales tax money is so important to the bureaucrats, maybe they can take a look at removing some of the esoteric exemptions that only benefit certain people and companies rather than penalize everyone for buying their food and medicine.

KMK