http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1961250/posts
The total tax burden in Arkansas went from 30.3 percent in 1996 when Huckabee took office all the way up to (are you ready?) 30.5 percent in 2006 right before he left. That’s right, folks. Under the “big government” guy, the overall tax burden rose by two-tenths of a percent in 10 years. If you meet any Republican politician who can hold a Democratic state legislature to raising the tax burden by only two-tenths in 10 years, make him president, would you? ...
By the same measure of overall tax burden, and from the same source for information, Romney oversaw an increase from 30.4 percent to a whopping 34.4 percent total tax burden on the People’s Republic of Massachusetts... Four percent in four years (all while Bush was president), versus two-tenths in 10 years during Clinton and Bush presidencies.
Huckabee gets negative press for the sales tax going up in a state with a balanced budget amendment. I have much less issue sales taxes esp at the state level then I do with income taxes, as sales taxes are voluntary and income taxes are not. Taxing work/productivity/income is evil. Income taxes/property taxes/estate taxes are central the tenants of marxism, sales taxes are not.
Huckabee’s positives on taxes:
That is not a socialist.
I am trying to think of something that happened between 1996 and 2006 that would have reduced Arkansas' total tax burden. Oh me, oh my, what could that be?
Golly, I'm stumped! It must be that Huckabee is a conservative tax cutter!
Yep. That must be it...I have seen a lot of dishonest and manipulative arguments in my time, but this one really takes the cake. The author would have to believe we are all idiots to think we would not figure out that Huckabee raised taxes as President Bush lowered them. Of course, since Mitt Romney did not take office until after the Bush Tax Cuts, he does not benefit from this total tax burden ... ahem... "analysis".
Dishonest and manipulative and insulting to the intelligence... A perfect fit for Mike Huckabee.
“Huckabee gets negative press for the sales tax going up in a state with a balanced budget amendment. “
It was a very large 15% INCREASE!
You put out “Huck did this good stuff on taxes” yeah, his first year, then he turned into a tax-and-spend liberal Democrats in years 2 though 10 that more than made up for the one tax decrease he did.
These are the tax hikes he engineered or supported:
* Sales Tax, 1996 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/07/96)
* Gas and Diesel Fuel Taxes, 1999 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 04/02/99, 04/25/99)
* Sales Tax, 2000 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 09/25/02)
* Cigarette Tax, 2001 (Associated Press, 04/02/01)
* Nursing Home Bed Tax, 2001 (Associated Press, 06/25/01)
* Sales Tax, 2002 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/15/02)
* Income Surcharge Tax, 2003 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/09/07)
* Tobacco Tax, 2003 (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 10/09/07)
* Internet Taxes, 2004 (Bond Buyer, 02/24/04)
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.
HUCKABEE: “Did we raise taxes on fuel? Yes. But 80% of the people voted on it because it was on the ballot” (“Meet The Press,” 01/28/07).
TRUTH: Governor Huckabee signed a gas and diesel fuel tax increase that was not contingent on voter approval. A second bill, which raised $475 million dollar in bonds, did require voter approval. Governor Huckabee shouldn’t falsely blame the voters for his tax increase.
HUCKABEE: “We were under a Supreme Court order to raise revenue for our schools” (“Meet the Press,” 01/2/07).
TRUTH: The Arkansas Supreme Court required the Legislature to devote more funds to education, but the Legislature had the option of cutting spending on other programs. It was not forced to raise taxes. When the Legislature raised sales taxes by 17%, Huckabee did not sign the bill, but he did not veto or fight the tax increase either. He also opposed repeal of the sales tax on groceries and medicine in 2002 and proposed a sales tax increase of his own shortly thereafter.
HUCKABEE: “I have always been staunchly opposed to any tax on Internet access. I am adamantly opposed, always have been. For them to say anything otherwise is an outright lie” (National Review, 09/10/07).
TRUTH: In February of 2004, Huckabee joined with two other Democratic governors in urging Congress to reject a bill that would make the Internet access tax moratorium permanent and embrace a temporary two-year extension of the ban instead.
HUCKABEE: “I’ve earned my stripes in government. I’ve run something. I’ve made tough decisions. I’ve balanced budgets” (Human Events, 06/18/07).
TRUTH: Balancing the Arkansas state budget is not a demonstration of Huckabee’s alleged fiscal responsibility but a function of Arkansas law that requires governors to produce a balanced budget each year. In fact, every Arkansas governor over the past fifty years has balanced the budget, from Orval Faubus, to Bill Clinton, to Mike Huckabee.
“If Governor Huckabee thinks he can wave away his tax-and-spend record with clever nicknames and half-baked stories, he has another thing coming,” Mr. Toomey added. “Make no mistake: Governor Huckabee is no economic conservative and—here’s a little bit of advice—making fun of the Club for Growth won’t actually make him one.”