Raisin’ taxes hurts GOP
August 28, 2008 at 10:28 am by Scott Henry in News
Gov. Sonny Perdue’s plan for fixing a hemorrhaging state budget would cost Georgia homeowners upward of an extra 200 bucks a year — but it could end up costing Republicans even more.
With revenue collections now clogging the toilet, Perdue announced earlier this month that projections were indicating a $1.6 billion (yes, that’s a “B”) shortfall in the $20 billion current-year state budget. Part of his proposed remedy – eliminating the state Homeowner Tax Relief Grant – can be viewed as an affront to hardworking Georgia families struggling to make financial ends meet.
Or, if you’re a Democratic strategist, you can dance a jig and thank your nondenominational deity for yet another in a string of priceless political gimmes from a state Republican Party that seems determined to shoot itself in the foot with an AK-47.
But let’s back up a moment for a remedial course on Georgia taxes. The tax-relief grant in question was an initiative passed 10 years ago by then-Gov. Roy Barnes, under which the state reimburses cities, counties and school systems for a large chunk of local property-tax bills. The program has much the same effect as a homestead exemption, saving the typical taxpayer between $200 and $300 a year.
Read the rest if this article here.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
February 17th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
[...] his heart to do it, Sonny will refrain from vetoing the Legislature’s efforts to honor the Homeowner Tax Relief Grant one last time. This means Georgia homeowners will not be forced to shell out another $200 to $300 [...]