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Alabama Gov. Riley asks voters to press for tax- cut plan
Birmingham News ^ | 3/10/6 | Charles J. Dean

Posted on 03/10/2006 8:27:00 AM PST by Crackingham

Gov. Bob Riley visited five north Alabama cities Thursday urging voters to pressure their legislators to approve his plan to cut their state income taxes. Touring on a chartered bus dubbed the "tax-cut express," Riley in all five stops told the crowds the plan he and most Republican and black Democratic lawmakers have agreed on will help almost all taxpayers, especially poor and working-class families, while doing nothing to harm the funding of state schools.

"We have the most immoral tax system in the nation," Riley said. "The system requires a family to begin paying taxes if they make just $4,600 a year. Our plan will raise that threshold to $12,400 a year while also cutting the amounts most of our working families and our senior citizens pay in income tax."

Riley explained how a record budget surplus projected at $1 billion has made it possible for the state to not only pay all its bills, but also to put millions away in a rainy-day fund for schools, to fully fund education and to give teachers and state employees a pay raise. But Riley said the state can do more.

"We gave a cost-of-living adjustment to our teachers, to state employees, and they needed one," Riley told a crowd of about 150 at the Hartselle Civic Center. "But you know who else needs more money? The men and women who get up every day and go to at least one job and maybe two jobs. They need one, too," Riley added as the crowd applauded.

The stops along Thursday's tour - Double Springs, Cullman, Hartselle, Blountsville and Huntsville - are in the House and Senate districts of mostly white Democrats who either oppose the tax cut plan or are leaning against it.

At each stop, Riley hammered away, urging the crowds to go home and call those legislators and tell them to support the tax cut or at least try to justify why they will not. Riley said they won't be able to.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Alabama
KEYWORDS: alabama; bobriley; riley; taxcuts; taxes

1 posted on 03/10/2006 8:27:03 AM PST by Crackingham
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To: Crackingham

Bob Riley is a good governor that got talked into a bad plan when he first took office conservetive acts like this will get him re-elected easily


2 posted on 03/10/2006 8:30:56 AM PST by jneesy (certified southern right wing hillbilly nutjob)
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To: jneesy
Talked into? Nonsense, he lied when he ran in 2002 against high taxes and then immediately (and I mean immediately) abandoned his alleged principles, turned on a dime and called for the largest tax increase in the state's history. To sell his campaign, he illegally turned K-12/higher education into a political machine and intimidated teachers or professors who dared oppose this.

Good governor? He pushed through sham "property rights" legislation against eminent domain which contained a giant loophole condemning "blighted property." Even as we speak, that loophole is being used in this state to condemn thriving small businesses....and Riley has done nothing. Riley was a liar in 2002 and he is a liar now. He is not to be trusted but you are perfectly free to be fooled again if you wish.

3 posted on 03/10/2006 8:41:51 AM PST by Captain Kirk
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To: jneesy
For more on how this "good governor's" fake anti-eminent domain bill is being used to seize thriving businesses, see here. Moore, of course, was warned at the time that he pushed this bill about what would happen. Of course, he didn't listen since his goal was to use the issue for political purposes not to actually protect private property.
4 posted on 03/10/2006 8:59:09 AM PST by Captain Kirk
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To: Crackingham

From tax-hiker to tax-cutter...


5 posted on 03/10/2006 8:59:50 AM PST by The Old Hoosier (Right makes might.)
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To: The Old Hoosier

and you would rather have seigelman or baxley????

because moore isnt even an option


6 posted on 03/10/2006 9:03:13 AM PST by jneesy (certified southern right wing hillbilly nutjob)
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To: jneesy

I didn't say I wanted anything.


7 posted on 03/10/2006 9:06:27 AM PST by The Old Hoosier (Right makes might.)
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To: jneesy

Siegelman promised that he would not raise taxes and he didn't. Moore promised that he would not raise taxes and did. Better a crook than a bald-faced liar.


8 posted on 03/10/2006 9:06:47 AM PST by Captain Kirk
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To: The Old Hoosier

And back to tax hiker again if the wind blows the right way.


9 posted on 03/10/2006 9:07:24 AM PST by Captain Kirk
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To: The Old Hoosier
From tax-hiker to tax-cutter...

What I resented most about the tax hike debacle ... the apocalyptic predictions of what would happen to the state if voters rejected the plan.

Now the Governor in his campaign ads is bragging about the revenue surplus.

In other words, the dire threats he and his friends used to try to blackmail the people of Alabama were either bureaucratic delusions or outright lies.

10 posted on 03/10/2006 9:15:46 AM PST by Oliver Optic
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To: The Old Hoosier
Yeah, its an election year, right? Any other year Riley would be pushing to rais taxes! Don't be fooled by his sweet talk. I wouldn't trust him as the crow flies to stick by principle.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

11 posted on 03/10/2006 9:48:08 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: goldstategop

my original question is

who is a better candidate???


12 posted on 03/10/2006 10:09:47 AM PST by jneesy (certified southern right wing hillbilly nutjob)
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To: jneesy

That's a tough question really. The right-sounding demagogue, or the tax-hiking governor? It's not a great choice.


13 posted on 03/10/2006 10:26:50 AM PST by The Old Hoosier (Right makes might.)
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To: The Old Hoosier
But who is the demagogue? Riley would seem to qualify best. H.L. Mencken defines a demogogue thus: "One who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots."
14 posted on 03/10/2006 11:47:41 AM PST by Captain Kirk
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To: Captain Kirk

Perhaps both are. THere's a sneaking suspicion among those who know that Moore is quite not the guy he frames himself to be, but a tool of the Ala. trial lawyers.


15 posted on 03/10/2006 12:05:34 PM PST by The Old Hoosier (Right makes might.)
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To: The Old Hoosier

Riley is going to win this election in a rout


16 posted on 03/10/2006 12:59:18 PM PST by jneesy (certified southern right wing hillbilly nutjob)
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To: jneesy

I agree.


17 posted on 03/10/2006 1:32:31 PM PST by The Old Hoosier (Right makes might.)
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To: The Old Hoosier

There is nobody that is really too likeable here. The Lt. governor candidate (can't remember his name "mo" something) who is opposing George Wallace Jr. in the primary seems impressive, however.


18 posted on 03/11/2006 1:01:58 PM PST by Captain Kirk
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