Posted on 01/09/2008 11:44:32 PM PST by wastedpotential
If you have an open mind about things, here is a list of things that I found researching the internet about Gov. Huckabee's record that are not examples of "Tax and Spend" liberal policies or are further explanations of things you may have already heard. The links are also provided if you want additional study.
(1) IN 2001, he established the "Tax Me More Fund" to allow "Liberals to put their money where their mouth is" and send their own money to fund a budget deficit, rather than raise taxes. He said he would publish all who contributed in the newspapers. In fact, he was accused of "hurting people with these cuts" by the executive director of the AR dem party. The Republican minority leader in the statehouse proposed temporary tax increases to cover the shortfall - rejected by Gov. Huckabee(http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/12/3/171750.shtml)
(2) That same year, Mike Huckabee was named a "Friend of Arkansas Tax Payers" by the Americans for Tax Reform (http://www.atr.org/content/html/statepre2004/120301pr-2.html)
(3) Welfare case loads dropped from 1997 to 2005 in AR by 61%
(4) As of 2005, AR ranked 46th per capita in state and local taxes, and 49th in property tax burden
(5) In 2005, AR had a surplus of over $750 million. (You can find 2 - 4 at this link http://www.arkansas.gov/dfa/budget/documents/budget_facts_fy05.doc)
(6) Proposed in 2003 to streamline the executive branch of AR from 50 departments to 10, eliminating waste and costs. (http://www.stateline.org/live/details/speech?contentId=16151)
(7) When the state ran a surplus of about $332 million, Gov. Huckabee advocated to give the tax payers a rebate back for a portion of it (http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2006/05/10/News/336020.html)
(8) The state supreme court ruled in 2002 in Lake View III vs. Huckabee that using property tax funds at the local level to fund schools was unconstitutional. The governor and the legislature then took the issue from the local level to the state level, in accordance with the ruling, resulting in increased state taxes of about $400 million annually. In 2005, he and the legislature were accused, in a 5-2 decision, of violating this for underfunding education. Gov. Huckabee was frustrated by this stating "It seems like the only factor we look at is how much money we spend" rather that things like test scores. (http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/12/16/News/331964.html)
Moaning and groaning about Mike Huckabee is not going to change anything. Rush Limbaughism has paralyzed the conservative movement. Instead of conservatives getting out there and running for office, they all sit back and blow bags of gas on all the candidates, while nothing changes. Why doesn’t Free Republic start putting real pressure on Rush Limbaugh, who talks a great game, to put up or shut up, and get into this race. He could easily garner the money and support needed to make a third party run. No excuses, no what if, no blah blah this or that. Just do it Rush! Then, as President, he could actually put his ideas and principles into action. If he does, I’ll support him. Quit sitting on the sidelines Rush, and get into the game! And if he doesn’t win, so what, he has laid the foundation for somebody else, or himself, to run as a Reagan conservative in the next election. Putting his imprint on the race this way, is much more effective than sitting behind a mic every day, and keeping the Reagan conservatives sound asleep.
If he isn’t going to do that, than at least he can encourage his audience to pray everyday for all the candidates, that God would lead them into making the best decisions for the country. For a guy who claims his talent is on loan from God, he sure doesn’t encourage his audience very often to ask for Divine guidance and intervention on behalf of our country, and our leaders. Instead, he keeps the conservative movement in a suspended state of the “good old Reagan days” with the docile tones of his melodic voice, while the Republican party drifts farther and farther to the godless, socialist left.
“(4) As of 2005, AR ranked 46th per capita in state and local taxes, and 49th in property tax burden”
Typical HUCKSTERISM misdirection. it’s low because Arkansas is a poor state on a per capita basis. But on a basis of the ECONOMY, Arkansas zoomed from being the 30th most taxed to the 13th most taxed under Huckabee.
It is INDISPUTABLE that Huckabee raised taxes and spending significantly as Governor. Beyond dispute. All you are left with are pathetic excuses for that bad record.
No sale.
According to the Democrat-Gazette, “the average Arkansan’s tax burden grew from $1,969 in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 1997, to $2,902 in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2005, including local taxes,” a whopping tax increase of 47% under Huckabee’s tenure. Tax legislation passed while Huckabee was governor totaled “a net tax increase of $505 million, a figure adjusted for inflation and economic growth,” according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.
Just because Huck talks a good talk doesn’t make this tax-and-spender a real conservative. Huckabee’s record is one of a tax-and-spend liberal.
“One of the governor’s biggest weaknesses is his record in Arkansas. While Huckabee did cut taxes during the early years of his tenure, the fact remains that he had a net tax increase under his watch, and the increase in Government size is terrifying. 21 tax increases went into effect, increasing tax revenue by almost $890 million under Governor Huckabee. These increases include the income tax, the sales tax, a cigarette tax, and a gas tax. Not only did he raise taxes, spending “more than doubled under Huckabee. “During Huckabee’s 10 years as governor, state spending more than doubled, from $6.6 billion to $16.1 billion in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006.” There was an increase in state spending of over 65% during his tenure, and the size of the government increased by 20%. According to the Americans for Tax Reform, the states general obligation debt went up by “almost one billion dollars.” Arkansas state tax burden was at 9.8% when Bill Clinton left office in 1992. Under Huckabee, it was at 11.1%, reaching the rank of one of the top fifteen state tax burdens.”
Huck is simply NOT a fiscal conservative at all. His record on taxes is abysmal.
http://taxhikemike.org/‘
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1950905/posts?page=17#17
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/11/updated_huckabee_white_paper.php
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_010708/content/01125112.guest.html
RUSH: Ladies and gentlemen, I have been thinking since this recent spate of callers from Huckabee supporters, which started about 50 minutes ago, 45 to 50 minutes ago, thought about it long and hard during the break, even been thinking about it here while doing other things opening this hour's monologue segment. I want to say to you Huckabee supporters that you've convinced me. I have been convinced. I've been convinced through the power and the brilliance of your arguments made to me here on the phone on this program, today, that Governor Huckabee is a true conservative. He is the only guy who is a true conservative, and I have concluded that I am debasing myself and the conservative cause by questioning it. As a matter of fact, Governor Huckabee was right to increase taxes by $500 million in Arkansas. Governor Huckabee was right to offer in-state tuition to illegal aliens. He was right to offer the Mexican government a consulate in Arkansas for one dollar a year. More states should show this kind of compassion. When I learned this, I said, "There's a conservative." The Mexican consulate, a dollar a year in Arkansas. He was right to release over one thousand criminals. This is conservative. He is right to oppose school choice. This is conservative. And he was right to accuse President Bush of a bunker mentality and stubbornness in dealing with our enemies. He was right in suggesting that the way to deal with Bin Laden and Zawahiri and other enemies of the United States is to implement the Golden Rule. He was right.
This is, ladies and gentlemen, the new conservatism. It is both Reaganism and post-Reaganism, postmodern Reaganism and after-modern post-Reaganism. I'm sitting here chastising myself. "How could I have missed this?" After 20 years, how could I have missed this? After 20 years it has become clear, after only eight weeks of Governor Huckabee on the scene, I now see the new conservatism: no school choice, $500 million in tax increases, Mexican consulates in states for one dollar a year, in-state tuition to illegal aliens, the new conservatism. And how could all the rest of us, the tens of millions of conservatives who have yet to even vote in these primaries, and the over 60% in Iowa who did not vote for Governor Huckabee, how could we have made such an error? I have seen the light.
I heard that bit the other day. Rush was definitely on a roll!
WHAT?
If not, the telepathically challenged among us would appreciate a /sarc tag now and then.
Then you say the party is drifting towards the socialist left, yet state that pointing out Huckabee's socialist ideas and record is "moaning and groaning", and that it's not going to get us anywhere.
“Pray for all the candidates.”
This tripe is why the conservative movement is in trouble. Would you pray for Hillary’s success if she declared that she was seeking the Republican nomination tomorrow. I think not.
Huckabee is an amnesty seeking, nanny state populist, that cherry picked home spun propoganda posted above not withstanding. Rush is not the problem. Huckabee, Rudy, and Romney, with their populist pandering are the problem. We can’t even tell where candidates really stand, because they are so busy taking all sides of every issue.
However, maybe you’re right, I should pray for Huckabee. I pray that he returns to Hope, where he can continue creating ethics scandals, taking bribes, and lobby on behalf of Castro, without damaging anyone outside of Arkansas.
That's a tad misleading...my tax burden increased more than that while Jeb Bush was governor for the same period. That doesn't mean it was all Jeb's fault.
ping
You might tell some of your fellow Huckabee supporters that trashing Rush Limbaugh and insinuating Hucks detractors are "Christian bashing" turns off Christians like me who do not support him.
I wont support him because he has lied and deceived just since the beginning of this election. I have heard him say that racism is part of whats driving the anti illegal push in an early debate.
I have read him say he wants to shut down Gitmo, and then when attacked for it say its because Gitmo is too good for them.
I wont go into the others but as a former minister and someone whose main appeal is that he is a Christian, using slick tactics are a turn off. He should have just stuck to his guns on taxes, foreign policy, Gitmo, Golden rule foreign policy and tuition for illegals. He still could have won because his supporters already know this but don't care.
I support Fred because he is all the things Huckabee is now trying to be yet he doesn't have to parse his answers because they are the same thing he has been saying the whole time. Mitt, Huckabee and McCain have to parse their answers and there is a reason for it. Rudy at least sticks to his guns and that alone is admirable.
Now the fact that this person is advocating Rush do that is just dumb. Rush is the consistent one in the Huckabee/Rush spat and Huckabee or his supporters started it to get free publicity.
Bump for later
Exactly! I would add that Rush has done more to promote conservatism over the past 20 years than ANYONE else in this country. Period.
Rush has flushed out the Huckster for his false conservatism and that has all those falling for Huckamania with their nickers in a twist.
The one point that Rush has been trying to make over and over in the past few months is folks like Huckabee and McCain are desperately trying to redefine what conservatism is.
Hucksters, if you fall for redefined conservatism, you do so at your own peril.....
You are putting way too much on Rush. If you want to organize a prayer group, find someone to pay to be a leader. Or volunteer for Huck Gomer Pyle.
That is funny, thanks for posting.
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