Mission
Statement
(Continued from page #2)
Our birthright
expressed in our State Constitution Article I
states:
All political power of this
State in inherent in the people and the
responsibility for the exercise thereof rests
with the people. All government is founded on
this Authority. And as to Individual Rights, it
states:
All persons are free by
nature and are equal in their inherent and
inalienable rights. Among these rights are the
enjoyment of life, liberty and pursuit of
happiness, and the acquiring and possessing of
property. These rights cannot endure unless the
people recognize their corresponding obligations
and responsibilities.
Interview
with Senator
Sam Slom
(Continued from page 1)
"The state has
a shortfall for next years budget of 300-400
million dollars!
The public
worker salaries agreements that were agreed to by
the governor and the majority party a year ago
have not been funded. There will be pressure next
year to raise taxes unless
we have new leadership and we have a turn-around
from a political standpoint.
(Continued on Next
Column)
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The Hotel Room Tax will
be increased to 7.25% from 6%..."News: "What's the deal on that? I
thought the 4% gross income tax was going to be
eliminated on the 6% TAT tax?"
Sam: "No, the original proposal,
you have to keep your tax increase proposals
straight, there were many proposals coming out of
the governor's office every day...."
News: "Yeah, it was a tax
du jour as I recall."
Sam: "Right! The original proposal was
to raise the TAT tax from 6 to 7%, then the Hotel
Association and operators and others got together
and proposed raising the TAT to 11% and exclude
the 4% GET on the Hotel Room Tax. Then two things
happened:
(1) The legislature in its
infinite wisdom then took the 11% and raised it
to 11.5%
(2) The budget director Mr.
Ansai said we are not going to exempt the hotels
from GET. So for a while there was going to be
over a 15.5% tax on hotel rooms!
News: "All this to revitalize the
economy!"
Sam: "The counties have
already indicated that because they are losing
revenues they will have to hike the personal
property tax as well as the hotel property tax to
make up for the shortfall. So for the most part,
there was not a change in the mind set or
attitude.
Many of the minor
legislative improvements would not have occurred
if the legislature adjourned on time, even the
budget was not approved by the deadline. It shows
an inability to set priorities, to meet
deadlines, to accept accountability and
responsibility.
(Continued on page 4)
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