My youngest daughter, Hannah, and I spent this past week pacing the halls of the state Capitol trying to keep a pulse on what is going on with all the tax increases, tax cuts and new government regulations.
It started very late Monday night when news spread fast about Governor Beebe hoping to make Arkansas the Flagship for socialized healthcare by being the first state to fully implement Obamacare. (Read more...)
Which, among other reasons, is why Rep Ed Garner chose to not run HB1002, Captial Gains Tax Cut on Wednesday (will run next Wednesday), to allow the focus to be on Sen. Missy Irvin's bill SB 709, a bill that would have required state agencies to document the expenses they incur to implement the federal health law. That committee meeting (IMHO) was a embarrassment to the system and to our state. (Read why...)
Thursday brought the "Internet Tax" bill that flew threw the Senate 26-7, meaning many thought-to-be conservatives voted YES to this tax increase. (Read more...)
But Friday was the clincher. I was truly feeling the depths of Mr. Bridges' sentiments as I scoured the Capitol for the nearest Red Bull vendor.
Yesterday morning bright and early the "Shale Tax" bill was heard in the House Insurance and Commerce Committee. (scratching my head) One might think that it would be heard by the House Revenue and Tax Committee. Oh wait the House Revenue and Tax Committee is majority Republican....
This meeting was the Coup de grace' of back room politics.
(this is a true parenthetical moment ...My brain just did a flash to Tony Soprano saying "I'm in the waste management business. Everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up. It's a stereotype. And it's offensive... There is no Mafia.") I'm not sure why that scene just popped into my head, let's continue.
The "Shale Tax" meeting was packed. The media reported 250 but I can tell you if there was one, there were 400. The word was spreading fast that Speaker Moore was considering not running the bill because he felt he did not have the votes, even in this stacked committee, to get a do pass; plus the size of the turn out (and I am not speaking of the number of people).
But he ultimately did and it was quite the show. Don't take my word for it, watch it for your self here http://arkansas-house.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=393
I was slinging the Red Bull back one after the other around the time the House convened at 10 am, anxiously awaiting the floor vote on HB1902, another bill Speaker Moore supports, the "Diesel Tax" bill, that would raise the price of diesel fuel on Arkansans an additional .05/gal over the rest of the nation. (Read more...)
In case you haven't heard the diesel tax passed through the Arkansas house 67-24. Once again legislators Arkansans thought they could trust to protect us from additional taxation and government regulations voted to increase the cost of diesel fuel on us by .05/gal.
Don't be fooled by any rhetoric you hear them justifying it about putting it to a vote of the people, Horse Feathers!, we sent them there with a CLEAR message in November, NO MORE TAXES.
Not only that but with that vote the said yes to spending millions of tax payer dollars to do it. See the powers that be recognize you can't let a good crisis go to waste, when thousands of Arkansans are dying everyday because of lack of good roads and safe bridges. We must implement this tax NOW by holding a SPECIAL ELECTION, which will cost more than 1million tax payer dollars (some estimates I have gotten over the last 24 hours say $2million) EACH time.
I say each time because unbeknownst, evidently, to several who voted for this tax increase, the language in the bill provides that the Governor can run "subsequent" elections if the proposition fails as many times as it takes to pass and as often as every six months (page 10 staring line 7 http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/Bills/HB1902.pdf)
We also know that there will be an "education" campaign from our illustrious protectors, to ensure that every Arkansan knows the urgency that is before us with regards to our roads.
Watch the House vote here~http://arkansas-house.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=394
Friends, I know you are busy, tired and perhaps feel unable to make a difference. But that is simply not true. If not for the people who have engaged in the past two years all of this stuff would have already been implemented with not a single hiccup. We have been able to shine the light on what has been going on now for decades right under our noses, and we ARE MAKING a difference.
Regardless of what you have been told the government is still run of, by and for the people. The people just need assert their power by the means afforded us in our system, IT WORKS! We just need to work it.
What you can do~
- Spread this information FAR AND WIDE, make sure those in your spheres of influence know what is going on, it affects their families too.
- Find out who your elected officials are and COMMUNICATE with them. Let them know you willing to do the work it takes to come alongside them so they CAN represent YOU according to your beliefs and values
- Read and investigate. What episode of Glee is more important than the future of your children and the families in our communities.
- Ask questions. Tons of questions
- GET INFORMED AND ENGAGED~
If you need help and want a little more direction, call me 501-258-6353, the more people we have seriously involved the faster we get our state on the right track and the more we secure the futures of the next generation.
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