tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7933920127241751828.post8540276573976313201..comments2023-10-28T04:20:02.330-04:00Comments on Voice of Moderation: A lot going onBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07175305901091202296noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7933920127241751828.post-9778939290278762852010-03-04T09:30:51.481-05:002010-03-04T09:30:51.481-05:00I'm not ruling out reinstating the grocery tax...I'm not ruling out reinstating the grocery tax, but that needs to be more or less the nuclear option in terms of revenue raising. There are a lot of less regressive, more fiscally responsible things that need to happen before I'm going to support grocery taxes. Among these:<br /><br />Update the state income tax brackets so that Arthur Blank and I aren't in the same bracket. The proposal I like is a 1% higher rate that kicks in at $400,000 in AGI. (Another flavor of this proposal makes it $400K for couples, $200K for individuals.)<br /><br />Pass some version of HB 356 (I know, broken record), to reform point of sale collections, cut down on tax cheating, free up DOR auditors to go after more income tax dodgers, and stop leaving between half a billion and a billion dollars on the table every year. At this point, I don't care whose name is on the bill, although the political hack in me would like to see my team get credit. <br /><br />Adjust user fees for certain state services - state parks, state golf courses, etc. I haven't been in favor of this in the past; you ought to be able to take your kids hiking without having to shell out for the privilege. But, desperate times, etc. This one ought to be temporary, though.<br /><br />Put a sun-downed moratorium on sales tax holidays, maybe 2 years, with an option to renew the moratorium for an additional 2 years.<br /><br />Raise sales taxes by an additional 0.5%. Again, perhaps with a sundown clause.<br /><br />What I want to avoid in any discussion of revenue raising is stuff that can't be easily undone. This is a really unique time. Things are going to turn around, and while some policies to raise revenue and stop the structural spending problems we have should be permanent policy (e.g. income tax reform), I also think that we're going to want to re-evaluate the ways the raise revenue in less uncertain times before they become permanent.Martin Mathenyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04650903521197675184noreply@blogger.com