While reading state Senator Ronnie Chance’s article, “Notes from the Senate: Double-digit revenue increase best in 24 months,” published in last week’s The Citizen, Sen. Chance seemed rather exuberant about the fact that the state of Georgia was having a tremendous increase in its tax revenues.
“Double-digit increase best in 24 months — $48.2 million or 46%.” “Individual income taxes (includes small businesses) came in at a 7.7 percent increase or up $60.2 million for a total of $856.7 million. That amount might just be the best December income tax collection month in five years.” “Year to date numbers looking stronger.” “With six months in the FY2011 books, the trend is certainly positive. Total revenues are $7.8 billion or an increase of $587.7 million over the FY2010 year …” “Individual income tax collections are up 7.9 percent or up $300.8 million for a total of $4.1 billion.”
It struck me as rather odd that a Republican would be glorifying tax revenue growth for its own sake. Taxes are a direct transfer of money out of taxpayers’ pockets into the tax collectors (governments) pockets.
I would have expected the use of these facts to justify a tax cut for taxpayers. If that was what Sen. Chance wanted to use these facts for, I applaud him in that effort.
The fact that the state of Georgia is awash in our cash via our taxes tells me that we pay way too much in taxes to begin with. I propose reducing our taxes through an income tax reduction.
Our current top end income state tax rate is 6 percent and I propose we reduce it to 5 percent, especially given the fact that Governor Nathan Deal is focused on reducing state spending.
The state of Georgia needs to to reduce its spending of our money by reducing the amount of money it takes from us. Government entities only reduce their spending when they are forced to.
There is always a battle between the citizens and citizen legislators on one side and, the bureaucrats and career politicians on the other side for the citizens’ money.
The citizens and citizen legislators fight to let the citizens keep their money, while the bureaucrats and career politicians fight to take the citizens’ money for their state entities.
When was the last time the Georgia state income taxed was reduced? The Georgia state income tax rate has been going one way, always increasing. It is time to reverse that trend and start decreasing the Georgia state income tax. If not now, then when?
Georgia has one of the highest state income taxes in the Southeast. It’s time to to change that and start letting us keep more our money. It’s our money, not the state of Georgia’s money.
My family and I are residents of Peachtree City and I ask that our elected representatives, state Senator Ronnie Chance and state Representative Matt Ramsey, lead the way in their respective legislative bodies to reduce the Georgia state income tax from 6 percent to 5 percent. Now is the time to act.
Stephen Allen
Peachtree City, Ga.
