Valiview School Principal speaks with bill sponsor IACI lobbyist Alex LaBeau waiting behind him.
Committee members hear testimony. Seats were empty as some members of Republican leadership missed hearing those who testified against the bill because of other meetings.
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Just came from Revenue and Taxation committee. To me, today's vote is one of the biggest losses of the session. (Some things I'm not conceding loss on yet.) By one vote we failed to amend the bill to shift almost $100 million in business taxes on to families and individuals. The amendment would have given a $50,000 personal property tax exemption to all businesses, a move which would eliminate all personal property taxes for more than three quarters of all small businesses. It would benefit all businesses without putting budgets, schools, and local governments at risk. This bill passed as written and so now we face the mother of all tax shifts.
It was one of those days when I passed long notes to JoAn Wood and Lenore Barrett and spoke to Phil Hart who was supposed to speak to Dick Harwood. But we didn't get Lenore or Dick. It was a big business vs small business day with the chamber and Alex LaBeau from the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry and the Chambers of commerce on one side and counties, some school districts and local government folks on the other.
JoAn Wood talked about how the Chamber can't have it both ways. They want more money for roads and they want this huge tax cut. They can't have both yet here we are now.
Idaho's destiny will be forever wrapped into the will of IACI so long as Republicans keep getting elected. Good job in trying to find reason with whom you have to work.
"Mother of all tax shifts." I like it.
Posted by: Sisyphus | March 12, 2008 at 01:18 PM