Everything Tax

Another devastating editorial for Rex Sinquefield and Let Voters Decide, today from the Christian County Headliner News: "[T]he real story about this initiative is that it will be pitched as a good thing for the common consumer, when in fact it is a regressive tax. That means those who can least afford it will be forced to pay the most...The main thing to remember is a regressive tax pushes the burden on lower income earners in favor of higher income earners. Don’t be sold a bill of goods on this one—we can’t afford it."

Many states are considering cutting or repealing personal income taxes (or not raising them) under the assumption that high tax rates harm economic growth.  Recently, one of the most visible proponents of this idea in the states has been Arthur "Laffer Curve" Laffer. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) has just released a pair of new reports that rebut Laffer’s claims, and show that states with “high rate” personal income taxes are actually outperforming non-income tax states.

"The bottom line is, I don't support raising taxes on groceries and other critical things that families need. I mean, making families pay more for bread and milk doesn't seem like a solid step forward for our economy."

Gov. Jay Nixon on Rex Sinquefield's Everything Tax

Originally posted at ProgressMissouri.org

Senate Appropriations Chair Kurt Schaefer and Representative Chris Kelly this morning told Rex Sinquefield directly that they oppose his radical Everything Tax ballot initiatives.  The two members of the General Assembly were the headline speakers at a Show-Me Institute event in Columbia moderated by Sinquefield himself.

“It scares the bejesus out of me what's going to happen if we phase into this and we have a substantial dip in general revenue,” said Senator Schaefer, who also said he was “intrigued” by the concept of a higher sales tax, in general. But “I'm very concerned about what happens when it phases in, especially during the phase in, and whether or not we have a substantial dip in general revenue because we cannot take it right now.”

The Everything Tax “cannot pass and...is bad for the state of Missouri,” said Representative Kelly. “It's bad for the state of Missouri because it would produce less revenue and because it moves the burden so substantially downward.”  

A few weeks ago, we covered what the Everything Tax would do to services provided to Missourians - raise their prices with a sales tax hike - but that's not all.  In addition to taxing services like swimming lessons, car repair, and Fluffy's vet appointments, the Everything Tax would also tax advertising - an effort that Florida attempted which was then repealed mere months after its imposition, in what I'm sure was costly waste of taxpayer dollars.  The idea of taxing advertising immediately presents a First Amendment concern, given that it would essentially be a tax on the freedom of speech. This is definitely a foul idea being pushed in Missouri, and shows again just how bad the Everything Tax is for Missouri.

The Everything Tax also has some scary provisions when it comes to Missourian's health care.  From Coalition for Missouri's Future:

While Missouri cannot constitutionally tax federal Medicare or Medicaid payments, it can – and will – tax payments made by private insurers. In analyzing the petitions, both the state budget office and the Missouri Department of Revenue say that payments by private insurers to health care providers on behalf of insurers will be taxed.

All health care services, including doctor fees, dentist fees, and hospital payments, will be subject to the proposed tax.

Rex reminded us today that he really, really wants to kill the state income tax and replace with a higher sales tax that would apply to pretty much, well - everything. He wrote a check to Let Voters Decide for $1.224 million yesterday.

We all know there's plenty more where that came from.

Read cover at StL Today.

When Dave Spence announced his campaign for governor, he promised to talk about "controversial but...badly needed [tax] reforms." The rhetoric on his now-scrubbed website suggested that his "controversial" tax platform might include Rex Sinquefield's disastrous Everything Tax proposal, but it now looks like he's running  away from the plan.

Last week on KSGF, Spence said he was "intrigued" by Rex's Everything Tax petitions, but refused to endorse.

HOST: One of the big areas that people do talk about when it comes to their own pocket book, and in turn the growth of this state, and there’s- I think probably it will be voted on by people, and that is the elimination of the state income tax and going to a state sales tax form instead. Where are you on that?

We already know that the Everything Tax is bad for Missouri.  If Rex Sinquefield and his lackeys manage to get the proposal on the ballot and and if worst case scenario it passes it would levy a tax on services not currently taxed as well as increase the tax rate of a number of other services.  This is, of course, in addition to the fact that it would hike taxes on everyday grocery bills to 10%, and would cause nearly 33% of general revenue to disappear out of the state budget, further harming schools, public safety and other critical services all Missourians depend on.

But back to the services that would be taxed under the Everything Tax:

Veterinary and pet care services: Whenever you take Fluffy to the vet for her annual check up, you'd better be able to fork over 10% more than you do now to ensure she can get her rabies vacination.

Leisure and Recreation Sports Training and Lessons: Do you sign John and Jane up for swimming lessons every summer?  10% Everything Tax. Golf lessons?  Taxed!

Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair: Prepare to see your oil change price go up 10% every 3,000 miles.

In today's KC Star, this regarding Rex Sinquefield's Everything Tax ballot initiative:

At its worse, the state’s petition process is misused as a tool by those who seek to use Missouri as a laboratory for unproven and potentially dangerous ideas and theories.

That is certainly the case with St. Louis multimillionaire Rex Sinquefield, who is financing an effort to jettison the state’s income tax and replace it with a higher sales tax on a greater range of goods and services.

Such a proposal would relieve wealthy Missourians, like Sinquefield, from having to pay taxes on their incomes. But it would shift the burden onto middle- and low-income citizens, who would not gain enough in income tax savings to recoup the amount they would have to pay in extra sales taxes. Plus, even with higher sales taxes, loss of income tax revenues would lead to severe cuts in already strained state services.

It’s simply a terrible idea. Fortunately, polling shows that the more people learn about it, the less they like it. A broad coalition of education, civic and business groups and unions is trying to head off an expensive statewide vote. Sinquefield would do the state a favor by backing off.

Emphasis added.

Got that Rex? BACK OFF.

"Why are we as Missourians allowing one billionaire to buy legislators and other elected officials across the state and try to reshape control of our Show Me way of life?"

Peggy Taylor of the Nixa Board of Education on Rex Sinquefield

Last week, Keith Robinette, a leader of the Ozark Chamber of Commerce, had this to say about billionaire Rex Sinqufield's Everything Tax proposal:

“The ballot (issue) that’s being circulated in southwest Missouri has a significant amount of exemptions in it, which brings into question how much revenue would be created by this,” he said. “Several areas of concern I have is one, impact on local school districts that are expanding, like in Christian County.”

He said districts depend on state funding, and eliminating the income tax would shrink state resources available to schools. He agrees with Moody that lower-income people “would be substantially impacted by this with a large percentage of seniors living on Social Security and small pensions” and pay no income tax. He said charity organizations depending on tax credits would also suffer.

This week, we're starting to hear from other leaders in Christian County. From the Springfield News-Leader:

Ozark Alderman Eddie Campbell asked how a fair tax would affect city sales taxes.[...]

"I'm definitely not for doing away with income tax... There's something wrong with the other things that go with it."

A Nixa education leader also expressed incredible scepticism of Sinqfield's Everything Tax:

The Star's Dave Helling: "A new poll apparently conducted by opponents of Rex Sinquefield’s petition drive to put an income-for-sales tax swap on the November 2012 Missouri ballot shows declining support for the idea in Springfield, Mo., a conservative stronghold. The poll — by Momentum Analysis — shows Springfield voters oppose the swap by a 43% to 37% margin (that is within the poll’s margin of error.) In September, the pollster says, Springfield voters support[ed] the swap by a 9% margin. That’s a 15-point swing in three months."

Emphasis added. 

From a must-read article in the Christian County Headliner on an event featuring Jim Moody, former Ashcroft Administration official, and Carl Bearden, Sinquefield lackey, check out this condemnation of the Everything Tax inititiatives from Keith Robinette, Ozark accountant and leader on the Ozark Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Committee: 

Robinette wasn’t shy in offering his opinion on the measure, saying if successful, the change would have a negative impact on Missouri. He said he didn’t think the 7-percent flat state sales tax could offset the revenue generated by the state’s income tax. And, he said, it would adversely impact growing school districts like Ozark.

“The ballot (issue) that’s being circulated in southwest Missouri has a significant amount of exemptions in it, which brings into question how much revenue would be created by this,” he said. “Several areas of concern I have is one, impact on local school districts that are expanding, like in Christian County.”

Travis Brown, lobbyist and advisor to Rex Sinquefield, wins this one running away. 

Rex Sinquefield and his buddies at Let's Try to Trick Voters into Deciding to Destroy Missouri aka Let Voters Decide have been blasting out misleading releases about what their idea to eliminate the Missouri income tax and replace it with a regressive sales tax would do to the Missouri budget and economy.

But now, not only are they misleading the Missouri public about what they really want to do, they're refusing to reveal which petition they are circulating:

Spokesman Travis Brown confirmed weeks ago that Let Voters Decide had begun collecting signatures. Although he declined to say which version was being circulated, critics have contended that Let Voters Decide is collecting signatures on version 13.

Earlier this year, Rex's buddies filed 13 - THIRTEEN - versions of the Everything Tax.  A few months later they pulled nine of those versions, but they still, to this day, refuse to let concerned citizens and voters know which version they're circulating.

This voter has already decided they're going to decline to sign the petition if they're ever confronted with it, and will vote NO if it ever makes it to the ballot.  No matter what, the Everything Tax is bad for Missouri, but how can voters make an informed decision if the campaign refuses to inform them?  What, exactly, do Rex and his cronies have to hide?

Spread the word:

But we believe the proposal [to replace Missouri's income tax with a much higher, more expansive sales tax] would be a disruptive and potentially dangerous tax shift, putting more of the burden on lower-income and middle-income residents.

It would lead to a dramatic increase in the state sales tax -- capping it at 7 percent (compared to the current rate of 4.225 percent).

It would lead to a much broader set of goods and services being subject to the sales tax -- chief among them, would be a sales tax on food that could be as high as 5.5 percent.

It could starve state government of needed money -- with critical implications for education funding and a host of other important programs.

And it would limit the ability of local governments to raise money as it would cap the total sales tax at 10 percent. That will inevitably put more pressure on governments to turn to the property tax as a source of revenue.

Image credit: Southwest Missouri Magazine

Sinquefield and his lackeys have made Art Laffer's alleged expertise a centerpiece in their campaign to devastate Missouri's public systems and structures

Berger's Beat reacts to today's big story in the Columbia Tribune: 

When you’re the noted Reaganomics guru, Arthur Laffer, it must be humiliating when a reporter from a mid-sized Missouri newspaper busts you in the Sunday paper for using incorrect data to promote benefactor Rex Sinquefield’s viewpoint.  That’s just what [Columbia Tribune] statehouse bulldog Rudi Keller did this weekend.  Laffer and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) annually produce a jointly-branded report on “Economic Opportunity Outlook” of the states...

Keller did some digging and found Laffer overstated Missouri’s marginal personal income tax rate as 7 percent instead of the correct figure, 6 percent.  The result was to make Missouri rank worse than Tennessee. 

The folks at Pelopidas and Let Voters Decide continue to insist that Tennessee is a "no income tax" state as part of their campaign for Rex Sinquefield's diastrous Everything Tax.  But the talking point just isn't true.  

Tennessee does have an individual income tax, as you can see at this Tennessee Department of Revenue page titled, "Individual Income Tax."  And regardless, Sinquefield isn't proposing a Tennessee-style tax system -- he's pushing a  far more radical and devastating proposal. 

As soon you stop laughing about this Dave Drebes post, encourage every person you want out of office to adopt this strategy and go all-in on the Everything Tax. 

After being left for dead by pundits like me, what’s the path for LG Peter Kinder to become Gov. Peter Kinder? According to one Republican it’s just stay afloat and ride the waves.

By his estimate the Rex Sinquefield fair tax effort will create a tidal wave of money in Missouri, up to $30 million. It may well become the defining issue of the cycle.

Can Kinder position himself atop that wave and ride it to the governor’s mansion?

h/t JohnCombest.com 

Theory: Rex Sinquefield's decision to fund this proposed local control ballot initiative is mostly about keeping important St. Louis people on the sidelines as he tries to devastate Missouri with his Everything Tax fantasy.  

Discuss.