The not so GREAT Plan

Last night I had the opportunity to come together with other elected officials from around this community to go on record in opposition to the GREAT tax plan for Georgia that has been introduced by Speaker Glenn Richardson.  HR 900 would in my view end local control and shift all taxing and decision making authority to a few politically connected people in Atlanta.

As a Republican, I certainly believe that tax reform in needed in this state but I find it suspicious that the speaker would not begin with the State income tax which is largely controlled by the legislature.  In reviewing the few details that we have about this plan it seems that in the final analysis this is more about setting up for the GOP nomination for governor in 2010 and less about changing Georgia’s tax system.

In the latest incarnation of the GREAT plan, the Speaker is proposing putting sales tax back on the food that we purchase, taxing all services, and new taxes on the lottery to pay for the elimination of the Homestead portion of residential property taxes. The problem is that this is in effect an across the board tax increase on the people of Georgia and I don’t believe this is what we put our Republican brothers in power to do.

My families income tax burden far exceeds our local property tax obligations.  If Speaker Richardson really wants to change Georgia then I encourage him to start with the a phased elimination of the Georgia State income tax.  This would be more in line with what I believe to be core Republican principles and it would allow locally elected governments to set the course in their own communities.

For more information on the GREAT plan please see the following links:

What is Local Control?

Beware Republicans Bearing Gifts

Local officials meet to discuss tax plan

The GREAT plan for Georgia

Examining the GREAT Plan from Georgia Trend Magazine

Speaker Richardson’s Article from Bill Shipp’s Georgia