| A friend of mine teaching at the University of Georgia shares this link via Facebook. Georgia, like everywhere, is going through serious budget problems. Like lots of places in the South, their state assembly is dominated by Republicans. And, if those Republicans are anything like Republicans in Michigan, they've got nothing but cuts on their mind. Except: In a commentary slated to appear in Saturday's edition of this newspaper, state Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, makes the case for a $1-per-pack increase in the state's cigarette tax, a measure that could bring more than $300 million in revenue to the state. Legislators also are looking at ending the state sales tax exemption on food and imposing a tax on hospital revenues, among other revenue-raising measures.
Can anyone conceive of the Michigan Republican who'd endorse raising the cigarette tax a buck to balance the budget? Georgia Republicans are apparently the same thing as Michigan centrist Dems. |
