Taxes went up in Arkansas when Huckabee was governor

Washington Post ^ | May 6 at 12:08 PM | Max Ehrenfreund

[SoConPubbie]

As governor of Arkansas, Huckabee responded to a fiscal crisis by working with Democrats in the Arkansas legislature to raise taxes and eliminate the deficit. Then, in his first presidential campaign in 2008, Huckabee converted himself into a starve-the-beast Republican, signing a pledge not to raise taxes and proposing to replace the income tax with a national sales tax, which would likely amount to a large tax cut for the wealthy.

On this record, it isn't clear whether Huckabee truly is a fiscal conservative who was simply pandering to the Republican base when he promised not to raise taxes in his last campaign. Maybe he really does believe that taxes ought to be cut, and raised them only because he was confronting a solidly Democratic legislature. What Huckabee actually thinks about the budget is the biggest question in his second presidential campaign.

In announcing that he would run again on Tuesday, Huckabee cited the 90 tax cuts that became law when he was governor. As The Washington Post reported the last time Huckabee ran, that number is misleading. Many of those tax cuts were nominal, and they were far outweighed by the few large increases in taxes that became law while he was in office.

In 1996, the year before Huckabee took office, residents of Arkansas paid 9.5 percent of their income in state and local taxes annually, on average. Ten years later, when Huckabee left office, the rate was 10.3 percent, according to the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan research group. The Club for Growth, a group that advocates for lower taxes, is responding to Huckabee's announcement with an advertisement criticizing him for the increases.

Huckabee, though, doesn't deserve all of the blame -- or the credit, depending on your point of view -- for the increases.

[SoConPubbie]

"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[Fido969]

I wouldn't believe a thing that the Macaca Times printed.

[sickoflibs]

Just a couple of months ago that chubby Huckster was threatening to quit the GOP, then soon after he quits FNC and announces a GOP primary run, to get media coverage and TV (RNC) debate time.

“I want Huckster as the GOP nominee because he threatened to quit the GOP”

doesnt work..

[WKUHilltopper]

“Taxes went up in Arkansas when Huckabee was governor”

Have the Democrat governors saved everyone and reduced taxes?

[xzins]

We should hit republicans where they’ve been wrong.

Huckabee truly did have a legislature that was 75%+ democrat, so a lot of what happened in Arkansas has to be seen in that light.

His problems that belong to him are his support of amnesty, path to citizenship, common core, no child left behind, etc. He’s also open to another ground war in the middle east, yet doesn’t call for a declaration of war.

[rhubarbk]

Is there a candidate that Freeper’s like and that everyone can agree on? FWIW my choice is a Cruz/Walker ticket.

[SoConPubbie]

Is there a candidate that Freeper’s like and that everyone can agree on? FWIW my choice is a Cruz/Walker ticket.

Why raise such a question on a thread that is simply talking about the FACTS of Huckabee's history?

This isn't about "liking" Huckabee, Cruz, or Walker. This is about vetting whether or not they are reliable, principled conservatives.

This Article, along with a few others posted in the last few days SHOULD have established in your mind that Huckabee IS NOT a RELIABLE or PRINCIPLED Conservative.

[ozarkgirl]

Is there a candidate that Freeper’s like and that everyone can agree on? FWIW my choice is a Cruz/Walker ticket.

We can't even agree on that when we like the same two people. Mine would be a Walker/Cruz

[SoConPubbie]

Huckabee truly did have a legislature that was 75%+ democrat, so a lot of what happened in Arkansas has to be seen in that light.

His problems that belong to him are his support of amnesty, path to citizenship, common core, no child left behind, etc. He’s also open to another ground war in the middle east, yet doesn’t call for a declaration of war.

No xzins, his problem is that he can only be called a social conservative. His record as governor was atrocious in terms of being a conservative. There was nothing even slightly conservative in terms of fiscal issues.

Read this article which has been posted in the "Front Page News" section of FreeRepublic from Cato.org. It will provide you with all the facts you need:

Huckabee: The Biggest Big-Government Conservative - [12/11/2007]

Finally, I have never been a big fan of the argument that the bad choices of someone proclaiming himself/herself to be a Conservative were due to the environment they were in. How would that work for someone professing themselves to be a Christian. BTW, Romney and his supporters were big on this particular excuse as to why he was such an utter progressive as Governor of Massachusetts.

[SoConPubbie]

Have the Democrat governors saved everyone and reduced taxes?

I couldn't care less about Democrat Governors. I do care about people standing in front of me asking for my support in their candidacy for POTUS and declaring themselves conservatives and lying about their record though.

That's exactly what Huckabee is doing.

[SoConPubbie]

I wouldn't believe a thing that the Macaca Times printed.

Then how about Cato.org:

Huckabee: The Biggest Big-Government Conservative

[xzins]

Finally, I have never been a big fan of the argument that the bad choices of someone proclaiming himself/herself to be a Conservative were due to the environment they were in. How would that work for someone professing themselves to be a Christian.

Normally, that is not anything but an excuse. I agree. However, when you can be voted down by 75-25, a lot of stuff is coming out of your legislature that, even if you vetoed it, it would be overridden.

None of that means Huckabee is not a big government republican, because I think he is, but the evidence is amnesty, common core, and a love for so-called 'free trade' pacts.

[redinIllinois]

“We should hit republicans where they’ve been wrong.

Huckabee truly did have a legislature that was 75%+ democrat, so a lot of what happened in Arkansas has to be seen in that light.

His problems that belong to him are his support of amnesty, path to citizenship, common core, no child left behind, etc. He’s also open to another ground war in the middle east, yet doesn’t call for a declaration of war.”

But now he is a strong, articulate supporter of the Fairtax, and that needs to be part of the discussion during this campaign.

People who aren’t accountants can’t even imagine how monstrous and oppressive the IRS is, and how much the current tax code strangles our economy.

The National Retail Sales Tax, or Fair Tax, is a way to take power back from the politicians and lobbyists by doing away with all the federal income taxes (personal, estate, gift, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, self-employment, and corporate taxes)

THE FAIR TAX WOULD BE THE BIGGEST TRANSFER OF POWER FROM DC BACK TO THE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY’S HISTORY

[SoConPubbie]

Normally, that is not anything but an excuse. I agree. However, when you can be voted down by 75-25, a lot of stuff is coming out of your legislature that, even if you vetoed it, it would be overridden.

Then you override it xzins, you don't pretend that you were against it and sign the bill. At least that is what a man of principle would do.

[xzins]

It would depend on (1) the issue involved, and (2) if not a core principle, then what I could trade for that’s valuable to me prior to the vote, if anything.

[SoConPubbie]

But we are talking about core principles, aren’t we?

[xzins]

I don’t know what the fiscal bills were in Arkansas at the time.

[trisham]

He’s no conservative.

[SoConPubbie]

xzins,

Please read the article that I posted to you from Cato.org.

It will explain it in more detail for you.

[G Larry]

I didn’t like his 2008 tactics of staying in the race just to thwart Romney’s bid, and usher McCain in.

It had a rather anti-LDS bias to it.