The so-called mainstream media in Alabama is almost over its euphoria sparked by the governor’s “bold” tax hike proposals and the debate, in their minds, has moved on to exactly which taxes should be raised. Most Alabamians, meanwhile, are correctly discussing whether tax increases are necessary at all. But for the sake of argument, let’s discuss which taxes to raise.
First, we need to quickly get ourselves into the right mindset.
Close your eyes and repeat after me: Taxes are good. Taxes are good. Taxes are good.
Now let’s gather a group of citizens who support raising taxes and get our ideas from those good and caring people. (Just in case you haven’t realized it: people who support tax increases are automatically good and caring.)
The girl with no plans of buying a car is for raising sales tax on new automobiles. She says she can’t afford a new car anyway.
The college kids who don’t own a home yet and work at the frosty mug in the afternoons are for raising property taxes on the “rich” lady who owns the store and works there eighty hours a week… presumably for her health.
The guy who owns the hardware store is for raising taxes on the banks.
The woman at the bank is for raising taxes on the insurance companies.
The insurance man is for raising it on the the big retail stores.
The folks from the senior center are for raising income taxes, as long as their retirement income is exempt.
The guy living in government housing says, “Let’s get rid of that federal mortgage deduction thingy. That would raise a ton of money, and I don’t have a mortgage anyway.”
Oh, and I suggest a tax hike for the big newspapers because… well let’s just say I think it would be good for them.
Everyone seems to be in support of raising the taxes they don’t pay, which is why cigarette taxes may actually have a chance of passing this legislative session. Raising this “sin” tax is easier on politicians because there are fewer smokers now than there used to be. There will be less blow back, and we can all just pretend we support it for health reasons. (Forcing others to be healthy also makes you good and caring.) If you don’t believe raising cigarette or tobacco taxes is easier because fewer people partake, ask yourself, where is the proposal to raise taxes on alcohol statewide?
Let’s be honest, many people are tolerant of raising cigarette taxes because they don’t smoke, and will not pay the taxes at all. How is that any different than the guy in government housing who supports doing away with homeowners’ mortgage deductions?
We should not be so hasty about raising the taxes we don’t pay. After all, avoiding tax increases on ourselves by supporting taxes on others doesn’t sound quite so virtuous when we say it slowly, does it? Alabama taxpayers should circle the wagons and fire outward at the tax-raisers instead of inward on our fellow conservatives for a change.
Let’s not fall for the tax-somebody-else scheme.
Scott Beason is a former Republican member of the Alabama Senate and is currently Senior Policy Adviser at the Alabama Free Market Alliance.
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