GOP Governors Grit Teeth and Raise Taxes (2003 Huckabee Archives)

Wash. Post ^ | Dale Russakoff and Edward Walsh

[pissant]

Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, a proudly conservative Republican, was determined to solve his state's fiscal crisis without raising taxes. Last year, he pulled it off, but the pain was everywhere: large layoffs and tuition increases at state colleges; reduced child-care subsidies for parents among the working poor; an end to dental care for adults on Medicaid.

This year, facing another 10 percent budget gap, Kempthorne said these were his only options left: Close the state parks; end state aid to public health clinics; abolish state support for community colleges and student financial aid; cut public education; slash Medicaid and programs for seniors and veterans.

(snip)

When Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) of Arkansas earlier proposed a sales tax increase to help close that state's budget shortfall, the idea received an icy reception from lawmakers. So when Huckabee went before those lawmakers earlier this month to deliver his State of the State address, he told them, in effect, he didn't care whether they adopted his proposal or came up with their own, but that Arkansas needed to raise more money to balance the budget.

"And if you deem that all new revenue sources, your proposals or mine, are indeed dead on arrival, then you'll be saying that teacher pay increases are dead, scholarships are dead, medicine for the elderly is dead, that long [prison] sentences are dead, and that we'll have to have a massive early release of thousands of inmates from the system," Huckabee said. "To be blunt, our problems aren't that simple, and the answers aren't either."

[NeoCaveman]

Huckabee is the compassionate conservative. I have a severe case of compassionate conservative derangement syndrome.

That and all he does is split the vote, helping the New York mayor in a dress....

[pissant]

Than what is your point. I have posted literally scores of articles on Hunter, his record, speeches, press releases, etc.

Do you not want to know Huck’s weak sister record?

[Elsiejay]

Lemme see, now. When was Dirk Kempthorne governor of my current home state? Dirk Kempthorne took the oath of office as the 49th Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior on May 26, 2006. Prior to this date Kempthorne served nearly two terms as Governor of Idaho, elected first in 1998 and reelected in 2002. C. L. Otter has been governor since Jan. 1, 2007. During the interim Jim Risch served as Governor.

[gridlock]

Never said it wasn't. Just still fascinated at the people who think the way to build up their own candidate is to trash the others.

The facts are friendly.

We need to know all we can about each and every candidate. We should not be overlooking anything because we are trying to support "our guy".

Huckabee supporters should be talking about his Padlock the Parks trick, and explaining it. But they should not be ignoring it or attacking others for bringing it up. Thompson supporters should not shy away from talking about their guy's support for CFR. They need to explain how it is not a disqualification to the rest of us. Rudy supporters... Well, they should just run and hide!

[Grendel9]

The REAL problem for Idaho.... and every
other state in the Union!

http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_research6f04

[Paperdoll]

>Unlike Thompson, who I do not support (see tagline), at least I understand why others DO support him. Huck, as someone earlier quipped, was ‘more slippery than a greased pig’.<

Hey pissant! Trying to get a rise out of me? :) The more I see of Huckabee, the less I think of him. I’ll even go so far as to say Huck is a honey coated phony. The greased pig comment could also describe Mitt Romney.

Let’s see, in my book that leaves what you see is what you get, tell it like it is, no fluffy stuff, straight shooter and right on, Rep. Duncan Hunter! Faux polls be hanged! There is only one number one! See MY tag line. :)

[Redbob]

What particular courage or intelligence does it take to raise taxes?

That’s always the easy way, the coward’s way, and is equally true if done by a Dimocrat or a Republican.

[Grendel9]

As to the 7 candidates...
The only serious question to consider at
this point is...WHO is going to drop out
of the race between now and February, 2008.
The first primary will be held in January.

You might want to keep this list on hand:

http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/

[pissant]

I’m with you, doll. But this Huckabee ‘surge’ from starry eyed values voters needs to be nipped in the butt.

[3niner]

Somehow we always hear about the terrible pain experienced by the taxeaters, whenever their benefits don’t rise quickly enough, but seldom about the pain experienced by taxpayers, as they are robbed of more and more of their hard-earned money every year.

[Paperdoll]

Sigh.... Even Values Voters are human. We sometimes hear only what we want to hear during crunch times. And are we ever in crunch times! I refer everyone to Raster’s:

http://www.glennbeck.com/news/03212002.shtml

[SoDak]

Agreed

[gridlock]

I think this flirtation with Huckabee is just a ploy to frighten the other Republicans into tacking further right. Huckabee is the empty vessel into which the Value Voters are pouring their agenda. They have no attachment to him. He is a vehicle, nothing more.