Op-Ed: Governor Little’s Tax Relief Plan Misses the Mark
By Art Da Rosa • January 23, 2022The following Op-Ed was submitted by Art Da Rosa. Note: Op-Eds do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those at the Idaho Dispatch.
With the State of Idaho sitting on a $1.6B surplus, the Governor and members of the legislature are touting a bill, HB 436, that proposes to reduce the top individual and corporate income tax rates from 6.5% to 6%. In addition, $350M is proposed to go toward a one-time tax rebate returning approximately 12% of Idaho’s personal income tax or $75 for each taxpayer and dependent, whichever is greater.
While members of the legislature and others are applauding this initiative, others are not so pleased. Representative Tammy Nichols (R-Middleton) labeled it, “breadcrumbs.”
I agree with Nichols. When tax cuts are proposed, legislators often act like they’re doing us a great favor. Forgotten is the fact that this is our money, taken by the government through over taxation. Beyond that, is an income tax reduction/rebate something that Idahoans have been clamoring for in recent years? Hardly. Most of the conversations have been on property tax relief and, to a lesser extent, the elimination of the grocery tax.
Property taxes, after “death taxes” may be the most odious form of taxation. Property taxes amount to a lien on your property, forcing you to continue to generate income to, essentially, pay the government a fee to keep the possessions that you have already worked for. Under such a system, your property is never truly yours. You’re only renting it.
Far too many of Idaho’s legislators and State officeholders have made a habit of ignoring what Idaho citizens want from their government while touting, with much fanfare, the return of a fraction of what has been taken from them, as if they were incredibly benevolent.
Idahoans need real tax relief, which starts with cutting government waste and reducing the size of the bloated Idaho bureaucracy. If I’m elected to the Idaho Senate, I vow to fight for the elimination of the grocery tax and to work to deliver the property tax relief that Idahoans are asking for.
I ask for your vote on May 17.
Tags: Art Da Rosa, Brad Little, Tammy Nichols, Tax Cut, Tax Relief
Good thoughts.
Your District and All of Idaho needs your Senate Win in District 28.
Best to you.
If it ever actually makes it to you, it seems like a fitting response to donate the pitance to a campaign candidate running against the Little man or the fake Republicans/Democrats who voted for it.
Conservative Idahoans must wake up and realized RINOs in leadership are Democrat/Socialists posing as Republicans. If you don’t vote them out (Little, Bedke, and others), then you’re wasting valuable votes for Idaho. Otherwise, think about voter recall.
Totally agreed…. get rid of them and many others
Yes!
It should be clearly recognized that this nation is utterly insolvent. These monies should be placed into an austerity account for an economic “rainy day”. Few doubt that a major economic collapse is highly likely leaving the Fed to do what? They cant stimulate more than they are and they have little to no weapons left to combat as interest rates are already zero. If the state was thinking about protecting Idaho citizens they would earmark these funds to provide state stimulus or severe aid in the eventuality that is certainly coming.
Yes, their attitude is “I’ll get mine” and “never mind your”s” before the crash comes.Career pols are not your friend.