Kinder Continues Mega Retreat on Mega Sales Tax Hike
KTTS reports that Peter Kinder is continuing to distance himself from his previous support for a higher and more expansive state sales tax, now that he's ramping his campaign and now that friend and donor Rex Sinquefield is stepping up his pressure to make it happen.
Fair Tax Not Backed By Lieutenant Governor
More Republicans turned out this weekend for Missouri's annual Lincoln Days than ever before. Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder was in Springfield for the event. He told reporters that he does not support the Fair Tax specifically, but says he would like to see Missouri's income tax eventually phased out.
The very short KTTS story doesn't provide any of Kinder's actual language, but it appears here that he wants none of the baggage associated with Sinquefield's plan, but still wants credit for dreaming of eliminating the income tax anyway.
In January, Kinder told listeners of Kansas City's fascist/statist radio station that the devastating analysis of Sinquefield's plans from GOP lobbyist Jim Moody factored into his reasons for opposing the idea as proposed.
It wasn't too long ago, however, that Kinder was open and honest about his love for Rex's bad, bad ideas. Here's what the Post-Dispatch reported in April 2007:
Sinquefield's direct approach has won him admiration, even from those wary of his objectives.
"We just click on so many levels, on so many issues," said Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, who agrees with Sinquefield's quest to abolish Missouri's income tax.
And this is what the Columbia Daily Tribune wrote in January of this year:
In his [State of the State] response, Kinder applauded efforts by Republicans in the legislature to abolish state income taxes in favor of a sales tax.
More from PoliticMo in January:
Kinder called for an elimination of the state income tax, essentially lining up with Speaker Stephen Tilley’s call for a ‘Fair Tax’ which would replace income tax with a increased sales taxes.
