Pretty ballsy of him to want to raise taxes and run for Governor as a Republican.
State Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton) and Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) introduced a bill that would add a new $10 fee on car tags above the annual registration fee.The money, estimated to be about $85 million per year, would go to the Georgia Trauma Trust Fund.
Supporters of a trauma care network say that’s the sum needed to adequately pay the cost of trauma care. If Georgia could reach the national average in trauma care services, it could save 600 lives per year, said Earl Rogers, senior vice president of Georgia Hospital Association. Doctors says deaths decrease if a patient is taken to a trauma center within a “golden hour” of an accident.
To be sure, he’ll call it a fee. But considering that everyone must have a tag to drive and most every adult drives, it is actually a tax. I don’t think it is that big a deal as we need to find funding for trauma care and this might just be the best way to do it (not sure of that, but I am sure it is better than the super speeder law at actually generating revenue).
Still, it’s ballsy of him to want to jack up taxes and run for Governor.
And it still comes down to Cagle v. Handel at this point. The more men who enter, the better it is for Handel I suspect.
{ 13 comments }
If memory serves me correctly, Stephens is also proposing a tax on cigarettes.
Auto accidents are also one of the leading causes of trauma. So you’re kind of pre-paying for a trip to Grady.
If they funnel the revenue toward “Children’s trauma” then they have a winner IMHO.
Erick
As a so called fiscal conservative how do we pay for services if we do not charge for them? Are you for eliminating trauma care?
John,
I have shifted my belief on taxation. I think there should be more and more of them. Not because I think high taxes are good, but because I tired of people wanting more and more and refusing to admit that someone has to pay for it.
Taxes should be 50% on everyone to pay for the mentality that the government needs to be doing everything and that no program should ever be retired. Perhaps then, we would not send back the same careless and reckless losers we send every 2 years.
Starving the government does not work. If it was a disease, it would just take it’s nutrition from the rest of the healthy body, and continue on its merry way, until the body dies. Instead we need to shrink the tumors with chemo and remove the tumors with major surgery, and the only way we will get that willpower to do that is if we stop trying being fooled into the belief that herbal remedies and acupuncture can solve the problem.
I’ve got a Eugene dog, got a Eugene cat,
I’m a Talmadge man from my shoes to my hat.
Farmer in the cornfield hollering “whoa, gee, haw,” Can’t put no thirty-dollar tag on a three-dollar car.
Somebody should tell Scott, we don’t like no high priced car tags around these parts.
In my opinion Scott entering the race helps Cagle. A vote for Scott is probably one that would have gone to Handel.A number of members will vote for their own guy, but the majority I suspect will be herded by the leadership to Scott.
ref above House members
Doug Deal
Very good post! We are in trouble because to many want something for nothing!
This may be an excellent way to “tag” liberals or conservatives.
Thanks John. I am pretty sick with the IOUs that my son’s children will have to pay for. It is not the fault of politicians, it is the fault of the voters. Politicians will adapt whatever behavior gets them elected, and god save the congressman who stands up and says that the big white elephant in his district is a waste of money.
Austin Scott, what a joke.
I say to hell with all these happy feel good projects. Many of us would rather see some of these con artists wearing an orange jumpsuit. Seriously.
Comments on this entry are closed.