Monday, July 27, 2009

AJC article highlights on budget

More Budget cuts in store for Georgia?
“We’re going to get a couple of months into this fiscal year and if we’re still not hitting the bottom, then it’s probably time for us to call a special session and have all of us come in and work on this together,” House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin (R-Evans)said.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Hill (R-Reidsville) is less optimistic. He wrote recently that the state could “easily face a $1.5 billion shortfall” this year,” if tax collections continue to show double-digit declines.

The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, an Atlanta budget think tank, has recommended the General Assembly consider raising cigarette taxes, hire more auditors, temporarily impose a 1 tax percent surcharge on family income of more than $400,000 and/or reinstate an estate tax. The last two recommendations, institute officials say, would affect less than 1 percent of Georgians.

“There is one thing everyone is united on,” said House Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons Island). “We don’t raise taxes on citizens and businesses during a recession. Nothing would hinder a recovery more than raising taxes.”
To read the complete article, click here.

No comments: