The governor promised to call a special session to deal with the issue.
He didn’t.
“I’m committed to working on tax reform,” he said.
He wasn’t.
Instead, the focus shifted in 2006 to a citizen-initiated measure called the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights (TABOR), which would have capped state spending and used any surplus funds to reduce the income tax. It lost at the polls, but by a narrow enough margin to scare elected officials. As a Press Herald headline put it, “Lawmakers: Yes, we got the message — cut taxes.”
As the 2007 session began, Baldacci was strangely silent, while legislators hammered out yet another plan to cut the income tax and expand the sales tax. But just two weeks before adjournment, the governor finally spoke. He wanted “significant changes.” Too bad he hadn’t mentioned that a little earlier. The income tax remained unmolested.
Baldacci then told reporters he’d have a plan to cap spending and cut the income tax (wasn’t that what TABOR would have done?) in time for the 2008 session. Must have been printed in invisible ink.
This year, a study committee did propose reducing the top rate to 4.5 percent and paying for it with budget cuts. Even though this was exactly what the governor said he wanted, he never endorsed the idea, and it suffered a lonely death.
Now we’re all looking forward to 2009. And right on schedule, here comes our boy.
From the August 13 Morning Sentinel: “Gov. John Baldacci said this week that lowering the state income tax is a priority heading into the next legislative session.”
Don’t spend your refund just yet.
Cutting remarks may be e-mailed toaldiamon@herniahill.net.
