As the General Assembly and Gov. Easley are poised to finally ‘fess up and admit that the term “temporary” assigned to a state sales tax increase in 2001 was a big lie, it’s worth looking back at a Paul O’Connor column from Sept. 29, 2002, which appeared in the Chapel Hill News (and other newspapers throughout the state):
Rep. (Junior) Teague, a two-term Republican who is not running for re-election
but who is running to re-join the Alamance Board of Commissioners, was
hounded by his commissioner friends from all over the state. They were
at the Legislative Building trying to win approval of a local-option
half-percent sales tax increase. Teague was opposed.As Teague stood in line, one commissioner after another badgered him….
Guilt works. And it worked this week on enough legislators that they agreed to raise taxes just six weeks before an election. After Gov. Mike Easley
seized $209 million of local government revenues last year and stopped
payment of $330 million more this year, legislators believed they had
to do something to help their commissioners.
They did so in one of the most dishonest debates recently. The sales pitches were fraught with lies….
(From) Supporters: “This will only be a temporary tax.”
The half-cent hike will raise sales taxes to 7
percent beginning on Dec. 1. State law now says that a half-percent of
the 7 percent will expire on July 1. So, supporters argue that the
higher tax will only last seven months.
But that overlooks the dire budget situation for the coming
biennium. The state is already a billion dollars short for 2003-04 and
allowing that half percent to expire would add $400 million to the
shortage. The odds of the tax expiring next summer are slim.
The News placed this fitting headline on O’Connor’s column: “Tax Lies.”
