Mississippi Speaker of the House Philip Gunn issued the following statement.
The Senate has produced two separate reports in which they claim a severe revenue shortfall is looming and insist these reports are why Mississippi cannot eliminate the state income tax and put money back into taxpayer pockets.
However, their actions expose their hypocrisy as they currently propose spending all the ARPA money and all our reserves. Most telling is that they voted to give themselves a $6000 pay raise while only giving the taxpayers a tax break of $50.
If the Lieutenant Governor and Senate genuinely believe that a revenue decline is coming, then the true conservative policy would be to keep these monies in reserve should we need to repurpose them to address a potential downturn.
The Senate cannot have it both ways. If a crisis is indeed coming, then following their logic, we need to save ARPA and our reserves. Our position is to point out these glaring discrepancies.
41 comments:
Phil is gunning for Delbert? Who knew?
Eliminate per diem. They will get whatever they do in a week or two. Texas has learned this fact, and I am pretty sure Texas is rocking and rolling better than “The Magnolia State”.
The boy Lt. Gov and Boy Speaker of the House can't get along and keep fighting? Wow, where are the adults? This issue has been going on for months now!
A CHICKEN IN EVERY POT!
THE PERCEPTION OF CRIME!
Etc etc etc
Did I get it right?
Delbert would be the best Governor we have had in decades. I hope he runs.
ARPA funds must be spent by December 31, 2026. They are a one-time source of $$ and can’t be saved forever. And MS won’t have surplus $$ forever either. Especially if we eliminate a major part of our revenue. Now is the time to address legacy infrastructure projects like roads and bridges, strengthen our workforce training and education systems, improve our healthcare delivery network, and fix our Departments of Corrections and Mental Health to name a few. We are in an unique position and need to use our surplus $$ to address our critical needs. Our State leadership need to stop playing political games and put MS’s needs first!
ARPA funds must be spent by December 31, 2026.
THAT is true! And with full knowledge that money that's obligated today will be held up no telling how long due to shortages and inability to complete projects caused by shortages, product non-availability, bottle-necks, etc. And everybody and his brother blames that on Covid, the easy way out.
I was told by a nationwide glass company today that the windshield I need will not be available for no telling how many months. If we don't get this money obligated and in the 'expenditure pipeline', we will lose it back to DC.
This is no time for the Legislature (both houses and leadership) to be prioritizing this money for projects that will keep them elected.
Remember: We no longer manufacture ANYTHING in this country. Virtually everything we need to have on hand to spend this ARPA money is going to come from somewhere else. Imagine the nationwide boondoggle with shipping and freight backup and product non-availability because our legislature sat on its collective thumbs.
Gunn is firing on all cylinders. Eliminate the damn income tax.
"Our State leadership need to stop playing political games and put MS’s needs first!"
Both of these girls, as it were, want to be elected cheerleader and there's only one open spot. Girls in cheerleader tryouts (and their mommas) can be some awfully vicious animals.
Both of these boys, as it stands, want to be named team captain and each is OK with watching the other one fail in order to attain that captain designation.
6:11 - you win! The award for the idiotic post of the week. Hell, maybe the month. I recognize your bias is probably because you are one of the three or four folks who have that opinion - which position on his staff do you occupy, because that's where all three (maybe four) can be found.
Delbert the Democrat- “protect the spending”
Eliminate their per diem? But it's tax free, and many of their expenses are paid by lobbyists, so it is money in the bank.
Remove the per diem? You know their per diem gets counted as compensation when calculating PERS and SLRP right? One of the most egregious things going in our state.
Its ok for Gunn to fight for his position and concepts - but to hold up the ARPA dollars because he can't get his way is both childish and foolish. The state has $1.8 billion to allocate by the end of 2024 and have spent (dollars in the ground) by 2026. Not starting that process this session would be idiotic for any reason, but particularly if it is to say the House is the only body that has the right on an issue.
For those folks that thought Tate ran roughshod while he was LG, they ought to realize that they were looking at him through their green eyeshades; right now both Delbert and Philip are doubling down on hardheadedness, making Tate's reign of terror be like Ned and the Primer.
6:11 is either Ray Mabus or Dickie Scruggs
6:11 I hope Dilbert runs for Governor too. That way he can take his retirement whooping! Just go away!
Congress just sent a signal they are looking for money and UNOBLIGATED funds are going to be sought after by Congress to pay for other stuff. They did it last week in the House Appropriations committee, but later the next day pulled back. That is a fact.
Spend ARPA to make necessary improvements otherwise your 1.8 billion will be worth 1.65 billion a year later and then less the next year.
$6000 raise is sorry. SLRP is sorry. So self serving.
6:11…decades? You certainly didn’t set the bar very high.
Dilbert is a closet democrat.
It would be showing Leadership if the House & Senate could agree to spend this $$'s on Infrastructure that lasted several Years.. My thought would be on Transportaion such as Bridges & Highway maintenance. Lt Gov. doesn't need to cut Gasoline & Diesel taxes at all, this would only put Ms further behind the 8 ball providing $$'s for Highway Improvements.. Put your egos aside & see to Business-
Congress has said that the money must be expended by the end of 2026. While I wouldn't bet on the probability, but every time Congress has ever initiated a program and put time limits on it, those limits became very fungible; in fact in most cases they became non-existent when the "deadline" neared.
Regardless, the idea of holding onto these dollars because the tax cut bill isn't exactly to one's liking is ridiculous - and Gunn's gun ought to be turned onto him for even suggesting that he is considering it. Granted, he doesn't have the balls to actually hold up all the ARPA spending and take the flack both publicly and within the chamber for not getting these 'free dollars' into the ground.
At this point his income tax cut bill has actually become reasonable now that he dropped the sales tax increase out of it; and the Senate's bill has also become somewhat reasonable because it affects all levels of the tax from the start. If they would cut Dilbert's stupid gas tax moratorium and the cash rebates out of the Senate's bill they should be able to get an agreement and let everybody take a bow - problem they both have with that is that their common enemy across High Street would actually be the winner and they can't let that happen.
The Senate, alone, cannot raise its own salary structure. It takes the complicit conspiracy of the House and the Governor. Whoever thinks that could possibly happen, raise your left foot and hook it behind your neck. Now, hop to the back of the room and take a seat.
Etc etc etc Did I get it right?
Well, not quite, Theca. Actually it's etc. (with a period). But based on most of your other posts, I expected you to spell it ect.
Thanks for playing though. You always manage to brighten-up the page.
A strong leader doesn’t let the other guy cherry pick his priorities while gutting your own. Gunn understands this better than most. Anyone can simply roll over for a headline. Gunn won’t do that. Good for him!
We won't see them giving themselves a $6000 raise. But I can guarantee you we will see them give themselves a $3000 raise and double the per-diem. Won't be this session, obviously, but watch for it next January. You saw it here first. Make a note.
Wish the people would wake up and vote every incumbent out next election.
Does Delbert like dogs more than Phillip Gunn does? Gunn and Nick Bain hate dogs and don’t care how they are abused. If delbert made a commercial with a dog and him petting it, he’d win every political race in sight! Nick and Phil are hated amongst the pet owners in Mississippi. HATED!
6000 ?! Meanwhile over at the hospital , state health care workers in many cases make LESS than a McDonald's line cook !!! Are you fugging kidding me !!! These SOB's need to be snatched up folks. And I mean snatched up hard. If you see one make your verbal beat down matter. They might work 3 days a week .....so you are paying for their golf and turkey hunts then spend 3 days thumbing their butt.
<6:11…decades? You certainly didn’t set the bar very high. March 17, 2022 at 8:58 PM>
Name your favorite, 8:58. Musgrove? Finch? John Bell? Winter? I'm trying to help you with some heavy-weights.
8:14 - I enjoy comedy as much as the next guy, but your comment about state health care workers making less than a McD cook is pure nuts.
8:22...I think that's exactly what the poster meant. Insert some thinking between reading and responding.
I am about as far right as you get but what's going on now where every bit of revenue is being cut to the bare bones is on the next level stupid. Bobby Jindal in Lousiana and Sam Brownback in Kansas did the same thing and virtually bankrupt their states. That's where Mississippi is headed.
Gunn is a kook and doesn't belong in the position he's in.
Gunn realizes that if he gets his way in deletion of the state income tax, and if the consumer purchasing index decreases, as is always the case in recessions (like is around the bend), then he will have to source other revenue outside of increased sales taxes to make up the budget shortfall.
This is why he wants to sit on the current budget surplus and why he erroneously believes he can use State Fiscal Recovery funds provided through ARPA to stave off the "inevitable" - at least until he is out of office and working as a high paid lobbyist.
What is the "inevitable"? It is the raising of property taxes, just like in other states with no income tax.
Elimination of the state income tax sounds good in sound bites, but it is fool's gold. The services we enjoy have to be funded. They will be funded.
No such thing as a virtual bankruptcy. Those states either filed, or they didn't. Maybe you should consider yourself virtually far right.
What is the "inevitable"? It is the raising of property taxes, ...
To offset what expenses? Be specific.
Gunn wants to be Governor and has pushed all his chips onto the eliminate the income tax platform. As a tax professional, what concerns me is the lack of long-term study of the effects of this drastic step. In TN for instance, there is a franchise tax and excise tax on pass thru entity income such as Partnerships and S corps. Also, the property tax seems higher. Same can be said for Texas. I have lost respect for the man.
@ 1:01...Substitute 'eventual' for 'virtual' and you'll be happy.
Both Boy Gunn and Leftenant Dilbert are gunning for themselves and don’t give a hoot for the average Mississippian!!!
I trust George Flaggs more than I trust either DoofBart or Gunnn. I'm not sure what that makes me, but I'm just a regular white guy trying to get by on a retirement income.
Ah hell y’all…we got plenty of $ going to continue to roll in from the lottery and now, soon 2B, med pot sales tax. We good!
The state income tax needs 2B totally….Gone With The Wind…in 5-7 years.
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