MDP January 19, 2006

SEND RESPONSES TO SAM HALL ATSAM.HALL@MSDEMOCRATS.NET****

1. We can all believe the audacity of the governor by now. I'm not surewhere to begin on his hypocriticalness. Let's start by the fact that he'sbeing irresponsible by trying to scare municipalities and educators. Thiswill not affect MAEP funding, and the Legislature will fix any shortfallsfor municipalities. This has already been guaranteed. And to listen to thegovernor say he is against any bill that would put an unfunded mandate on alower government is preposterous. His refusal to fund state services at anadequate level has passed the tax burden to our cities and counties for twoyears. This is a good bill, and the governor's veto should be overridden!

Tax bill up in smoke? - The Clarion-Ledger:
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060119/NEWS010504/601190372

Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck's bold tax bill is back in her court today.Gov. HaleyBarbour on Wednesday sent a bill that raises the cigarette tax whilelowering the cost of a trip to the grocery store back to the Legislature ina rare veto ceremony."It is irresponsible to cut Mississippi's budget revenue while we're tryingto recover from Hurricane Katrina, but this bill does that," Barbour saidbefore the veto.

2. The C-L is still fighting the good fight on the Grocery Tax Bill. Veto - The Clarion-Ledger:
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060119/OPINION01/601190330/0/OPINION

Gov. Haley Barbour makes a very persuasive argument for vetoing theLegislature's tobacco/grocery tax shift, but his view is askew in severalrespects.The bill would hike cigarette taxes from the country's third lowest rate at18 cents per pack to $1 by 2007 and phase out the 7 percent sales tax ongroceries. Barbour complains that it will take revenue from cities that needit at a difficult time and that the tobacco tax won't make up for thelosses. The impact numbers are educated guesses, but hiking tobacco taxesand eliminating grocery taxes may not be revenue neutral. That is still noreason not to do it.

3. The Jackson Free Press has an interesting discussion going on about the governor's veto of the grocery bill.

Jackson Free Press Barbour: 'Why I'll Veto the Tax Bill':
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=8312_0_27_0_C

4. The Meridian Star has endorsed the Grocery Tax Cut Bill.
Meridian Mississippi News - The Meridian Star: http://www.meridianstar.com/articles/2006/01/19/opinions/editorials/c-edi.txt

Gov. Haley Barbour finds himself in a political pickle early in the 2006legislative session. By Thursday, he must decide whether to sign or veto abill, passed overwhelmingly by the Legislature, to jack up the state'scigarette tax and phase out its sales tax on groceries. Barbour has a thirdoption, which we recommend he exercise: Let the bill become law without hissignature.

--Sam R. Hall, Communications Director, Mississippi Democratic Party--
--Office: (601) 969-2913 Cell: (601) 832-8909 www.msdemocrats.netsam.hall@msdemocrats.net