Bacon's Rebellion

Gilmore’s Ghost

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by

James A. Bacon
in

by Barnie Day

Bill Howell can’t get traction on any of his other issues, so he’s trotted out a frightful oldie–completing the phase-out of the car tax.

In what has to be the most desperate reach for political relevance in recent memory, the House Republican leadership on Wednesday rolled out… (drumroll, please)… the car tax issue!

For real. I’m not making this up

This one is the policy equivalent of a blow-up doll. Let’s call her “Gilmore’s Ghost.” What’s she look like? Well, that depends on the lighting. Frightful, even scary, in the daylight. Not bad in the dark. A little long in the tooth, and so lame she’s reduced now to crutches, still, a wig, a little lipstick and… Whatayaknow!… Bill Howell’s finally got an issue he can squire about in public! More.

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  1. Phil Rodokanakis Avatar
    Phil Rodokanakis

    Barnie, I agree that “Gilmore’s Ghost” as you term it, doesn’t stand a chance of going through–only over Chichester’s dead body perhaps…

    On the other hand, the best proposal for completely eliminating the car tax is the one made by Del. Tom Rust, HB 2066. It proposes to completely eliminate the car tax and replace it with a permanent reimbursement to local governments, by substituting the annual reimbursements and turning over to the localities 17.5% of the income taxes collected by the State. This involves no new taxes.

    You may want to look at my recent column, “Byzantium on the James,” for more details on this.

  2. Barnie Day Avatar
    Barnie Day

    Phil, I saw your column and, as always, admired it greatly. The problem is not just on the revenue side of the equation. They must discipline themselves on the spending side, too. See ‘Let the good times roll’ on this blog.

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