Posted by The Times Daily had an AP story this weekend reporting that Alabama has the lowest taxes per capita in the nation. (This may be the same story we had here at at the beginning of the summer.)
Which brings us to the Covenant for the Future from the Alabama Legislative Democratic Leadership Council. One of their proposals is to “oppose any increase in taxes without a vote of the people.” (Look for something similar in the state Republicans’ forthcoming “Contract with Alabama.”) Why?
We have the lowest taxes per capita in the nation. Helping Alabama legislators keep taxes low is like helping anorexics restrict their food intake. You’re trying to help with a problem they don’t particularly have.
Adequate funding for state services is a problem. The state prisons system, judicial system, Medicaid… any number of state services are underfunded.
Why create another obstacle to adequate funding of underfunded state services?
Legislative Dispatch
Purple Dot Connection
2010 Big List
2010 Senate Elections
2010 House Elections
Press Releases
Because that kind of pandering helps win elections, unfortunately, but I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.
(A) Because the covenant is meant to win elections, not to advocate sound policy.
(B) Just because we have the lowest taxes in the nation doesn’t mean we need a tax increase.
We may pay the fewest dollars per person, but we also get paid fewer dollars per person. That doesn’t necessarily keep in mind the percentage of taxes we pay in relation to our salaries. It is also nearly impossible to estimate the amount most people pay in sales taxes.
Kathy, Dan, and A.M., yep, yep, and yep. BTW, A.M., I do think you can ballpark how much sales tax we pay per capita since we have figures for total sales tax revenue and how many Alabamians there are.