January 28, 2005

Bredesen Speaks Against TaBOR

Well, looks like we have a definite idea of where Bredesen stands when it comes to the Tennessee taxpayer (although, this has been hinted at before).

Today comes a story from KnoxNews.com (registration required), and I don't like what I'm hearing.

I'm posting the story in its entirety for all to read (click on "There's More" below to read the rest):

By TOM HUMPHREY, tomhumphrey3@aol.com
January 28, 2005

NASHVILLE- Gov. Phil Bredesen said he is adamantly against putting a proposed "taxpayer bill of rights" into the state constitution, but he will not actively oppose an amendment to forbid gay marriage.

Questioned during an interview about proposed state constitutional amendments, the governor said he thinks popular election of the state comptroller, treasurer and secretary of state is a bad idea but is less strongly opposed to permanently banning a state income tax.

The "taxpayer bill of rights," also known by the acronym TABOR, is modeled after a provision in the Colorado Constitution. Bredesen said it is "a disaster" in that state today after "some short-term success" in prior years.

"I think the taxpayer bill of rights is a bad thing that goes to the heart of my ability to operate government day-to-day as opposed to some of the other things that are out there," he said.

Sponsored by Rep. Glen Casada and Sen. Jim Bryson, both Franklin Republicans, TABOR has also been declared a top legislative priority this year by the National Federation of Independent Business.

Casada said the proposal would limit growth in state government spending to the same annual percentage as growth in personal income of citizens and provide that any excess be first placed in a "rainy day fund" savings account. Once the account reaches 5 percent of the state budget, any further excess would go back to taxpayers in the form of tax cuts, he said.

Further, any tax increase adopted by the Legislature would require approval of voters in a statewide referendum before taking effect.

"I think it's a highly ideological bill," said Bredesen.

"That's what legislatures are for - determining how money is to be spent and responding to conditions each year," he said. "I don't think any legislature ought to abdicate that responsibility out to some fixed formula in the constitution."

Canada said the amendment is needed to "reign in state government spending" that has grown by an average of 7.6 percent over the past 10 years. The state constitution currently sets a goal of limiting growth in state spending, but that can be - and often is - bypassed by a simple majority vote of the Legislature. Tabor's cap would be mandatory.

Canada said passage of the proposal "is going to be tough." While most supporters so far are Republicans, he said "you are going to see a lot of conservative Democrats join us on this."

He also characterized as "very false" that TABOR has been a disaster in Colorado, saying that state is "number 1, 2 or 3 in wealth creation, job creation and growth of the state's economy."

"Yes, state government programs are not growing like the bureaucrats want them to grow (in Colorado). But to me that's OK as well," he said.

The constitutional amendment to forbid gay marriage, sponsored by Rep. Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville, won initial approval in the last legislative session. If approved again this session by a two-thirds majority, it will go before voters in a statewide referendum in November 2006.

The governor said he believes the constitutional amendment unnecessary since state law already prohibits same-sex weddings, but "I won't actively urge defeat" of the proposal.

He said gay marriage is "a vastly different issue from tolerance for gays.

"I certainly have said frequently over the years that I would happily promote hire or discharge of people in state government without regard to sexual orientation or anything like that," he said. "But it seems to me that's a long way from putting official imprimatur of the state on a union where, you know, there's many thousands of years of history to the contrary. It strikes me as unnecessary and contrary to the values of most Americans."

As with TABOR, other pending state constitutional amendments would need approval of both the current legislative session and the following session before they could be put to a statewide vote.

One proposal defeated in past years but with renewed interest in 2005 calls for an amendment requiring popular election of the state's constitutional officers, who are now elected by vote of the House and Senate. Sen. Rosalind Kurita, D-Clarksville, is pushing the idea along with several Republicans.

Bredesen said he does not like the idea.

"First of all, what problem are you trying to solve? We already have excellent constitutional officers," he said, saying the positions - especially comptroller - are "very technically skilled jobs" where those in office have demonstrated "a good ability to promote people up through the ranks and get people who are very knowledgeable."

As for a proposal to insert a flat ban on a state income tax into the constitution, the governor said, "I feel less strongly about that (because) I don't happen to be for an income tax."

"I know it's a Republican issue, but the only income tax I know of in the last 10 years has come from a Republican governor," he said. "I think they ought to get their own house in order before they start changing the constitution."

Casada, who is also sponsoring the amendment on an income tax, said he expects bipartisan support for the proposal. He said a recommendation for enactment of a state income tax by the Tennessee Tax Structure Study Commission shows that many people, unlike him, believe the state constitution would permit an income tax and an amendment is needed to assure that is impossible.

(ht: No Silence Here - KnoxNews.com)

Update: Bill Hobbs "hobbles" Bredesen's claims that Colorado's TaBOR is a disaster.

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