The 140 Million Dollar Sham

Did you know that the $140 million that Richardson wants to return to taxpayers is roughly equivalent to the $140 million dollar austerity cut to public schools? Isn't it ironic that the cuts to public schools will be passed along to local districts who will have to fill the gap by either reducing services or, you guessed it, raising property taxes. This is the kind of political shell game that has become emblematic of the GOP reign in Georgia. Don't fall for this sham.

The Associated Press reports that neither Gov. Perdue nor Speaker Richardson show any signs of backing down on their respective 140 give-or-take-a-couple-of-million dollar tax cuts. While Richardson wants the 140 million to go back to property owners in the form of rebate checks, Perdue is miffed that the tax break for high income seniors, the one he campaigned on, was put on hold in the House budget. Here's what the AP had to say:

But Perdue was also displeased that the House put his own retirement tax cut on hold, then put forward its own at an identical $142 million price tag.
"It was a desperate solution for a compromise and it was not well thought out," Perdue said of the House tax cut, which he labeled "a late-night quick fix."

Expect fireworks when the session resumes. Richardson has staked his political future on the survival of the supplemental budget compromise that would return that sum to property owners in the form of rebate checks. Perdue doesn't want his tax break for seniors to be put on hold. Both of them are dead wrong on this issue. If they are really fiscal conservatives, then they should put the money in the reserves instead of spending it to purchase political capitol.

Oh, and by the way, just for some added drama, the $81 million dollar PeachCare 'fix' is, you guessed it, tied up in the supplemental budget- the same budget that will be the subject of this epic battle.