A look at Georgia under Republican
leadership over the last twelve years provides a discouraging picture of high
taxes and ineffective management. We have the highest income tax in the south,
the highest auto taxes in the south, the highest hotel/motel taxes in the south
and the second highest gas tax in the south. What is Georgia's return on these
high taxes? WalletHub ranks us 39th for overall return and 48th for economic
return.
Many Georgians are concerned and
believe that fresh leadership is needed to return our Republican Party to its
core principles of fiscal conservatism and limited, effective government. Alex Johnson shares those concerns and
beliefs and is vying for the role of Chair of the Georgia Republican Party.
Alex believes politicians should be held accountable to the Republican
principles they espoused when running for office. Alex believes our Party must
stay principled, honorable, and ethical.
The recently completed 2015 legislative
session supports the importance of this leadership change.
The Tax Man Cometh Again:
Georgia, already the most expensive state in the country to own and operate a vehicle, is discouraging economic growth by pumping the gas tax up 35%, levying a $50-$100 fee on trucks, and adding a $5 per night fee to hotel bills. These taxes are intended to raise $900 million for transportation funding in Georgia, on top of a $400 million dollar transportation tax increase enacted in 2013 which does not go toward improving our roads and bridges.
Georgia, already the most expensive state in the country to own and operate a vehicle, is discouraging economic growth by pumping the gas tax up 35%, levying a $50-$100 fee on trucks, and adding a $5 per night fee to hotel bills. These taxes are intended to raise $900 million for transportation funding in Georgia, on top of a $400 million dollar transportation tax increase enacted in 2013 which does not go toward improving our roads and bridges.
Gas Taxes:
Will you be using smart phone apps to find cheaper gas outside of Georgia? Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina already had lower gas taxes than Georgia, but our legislature has further incentivized Georgians near state lines and people traveling through Georgia to fill 'er up elsewhere. This new 26 cent/gallon excise tax will increase with both inflation and vehicle fuel efficiency.
Will you be using smart phone apps to find cheaper gas outside of Georgia? Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina already had lower gas taxes than Georgia, but our legislature has further incentivized Georgians near state lines and people traveling through Georgia to fill 'er up elsewhere. This new 26 cent/gallon excise tax will increase with both inflation and vehicle fuel efficiency.
Hotel Taxes:
Do you mind paying $5 extra a night for a room? While travelers are buying cheaper gas in an adjoining state, they may consider spending the night there rather than paying five bucks more per night in a Georgia motel room. Border counties will be hurt the most - losing both motel and restaurant revenue. The leisure and hospitality industry, one of the bright spots in Georgia's sluggish economic recovery, is being penalized.
Do you mind paying $5 extra a night for a room? While travelers are buying cheaper gas in an adjoining state, they may consider spending the night there rather than paying five bucks more per night in a Georgia motel room. Border counties will be hurt the most - losing both motel and restaurant revenue. The leisure and hospitality industry, one of the bright spots in Georgia's sluggish economic recovery, is being penalized.
Vehicle Taxes:
Do you support double taxation? The 2013 legislature eliminated the so called 'birthday tax' and replaced it with a 6.5% Title Ad Valorum Tax (TAVT), which can increase up to 9% without legislative action. That tax has now increased to 7%, and is a disincentive for people/companies to move to Georgia because this tax must be paid on the value of cars already owned. Our legislators must finally be realizing their folly because they just exempted all Mercedes Benz Headquarters employees, most of whom drive Mercedes, from paying it.
Do you support double taxation? The 2013 legislature eliminated the so called 'birthday tax' and replaced it with a 6.5% Title Ad Valorum Tax (TAVT), which can increase up to 9% without legislative action. That tax has now increased to 7%, and is a disincentive for people/companies to move to Georgia because this tax must be paid on the value of cars already owned. Our legislators must finally be realizing their folly because they just exempted all Mercedes Benz Headquarters employees, most of whom drive Mercedes, from paying it.
Limited, Effective Government:
These data speak loudly regarding our leaders' decisions to expand government, but what about effective government? The Georgia DOT, with an annual budget of over two billion dollars, will be getting $900 million more per year. This is the same DOT that miserably failed an independent forensic accountant audit in 2012 due to misallocation of many millions of taxpayer dollars. This is the DOT found to have material deficiencies in four straight financial audits. Have these deficiencies been corrected?
These data speak loudly regarding our leaders' decisions to expand government, but what about effective government? The Georgia DOT, with an annual budget of over two billion dollars, will be getting $900 million more per year. This is the same DOT that miserably failed an independent forensic accountant audit in 2012 due to misallocation of many millions of taxpayer dollars. This is the DOT found to have material deficiencies in four straight financial audits. Have these deficiencies been corrected?
Our state leaders do not get good marks
for running our prisons, one of the most dangerous systems in America. Our
Youth Development Centers have one of the highest rates of sexual abuse in
America. Despite our HOPE scholarship program, the envy of America because of
its promise to enable more Georgia kids to afford college, Georgians have the
highest per capita student loan debt in America, and tuition costs are jumping
another 2.5 - 9% for fall term 2015.
My perspective:
Our leaders, as shown by their actions, have abandoned the core Republican principles of fiscal conservatism and limited government. Our leaders lack an overarching strategy to change Georgia's economic paradigm such that hard working Georgians enjoy greater prosperity and quality of life. This is why five years into the economic recovery Georgia still has not regained the number or quality of jobs we had prior to the recession even while our population has grown.
Our leaders, as shown by their actions, have abandoned the core Republican principles of fiscal conservatism and limited government. Our leaders lack an overarching strategy to change Georgia's economic paradigm such that hard working Georgians enjoy greater prosperity and quality of life. This is why five years into the economic recovery Georgia still has not regained the number or quality of jobs we had prior to the recession even while our population has grown.
Change comes hard. Getting Georgia on a
path to true economic prosperity requires that we all step up to the leadership
plate. Georgia's State Republican Convention will be held in Athens on May
15-16. At that convention we will have an opportunity to elect a young man who
is a true limited government conservative to serve as Chair of the Georgia
Republican Party. That man is Alex Johnson. Please join me in supporting Alex.
David Pennington, May 4, 2015·
Let's work to restore our party and its
brand by recruiting and then electing dedicated conservatives to be servants in
our great state of Georgia. We can start in 10 days by electing a new state GOP
Chairman. We will elect Alex Johnson.
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