I just saw this breaking news come across my email from the Nashville City Paper Nashville Dems don’t back bill to roll back sales tax on food. When I clicked through to the article I saw this choice quote:
“It’s the most stable tax we have,” Henry said of the sales tax on food. “If you impair it, you’re asking for a state income tax.”
Now, I am not ready to go out and campaign for Bob Krumm just yet, but WTF is Sen. Henry thinking? Can someone please remind me what Democrats stand for. All this time I thought it was about raising the standard of living for all people. I thought Democrats wanted a growing middle class. Apparently not.
Sales tax is a regressive tax that disproportionately taxes the poor. Sales tax on food even more so.
Is there more to this story that I don’t understand?
2 Comments
Fully funding Tennessee’s education system is something Democrats believe in, too. Investing sales tax revenue in improving education will benefit far more people - by a far greater amount - than removing the sales tax from food.
No, raising regressive taxes in the name of education last year was a bad idea and trying to justify continuing regressive taxes now for the sake of education is a bad idea.
You want to fully fund education? Change the rules about how people can give private funds to a public school. You know why some schools are great while others are bad? Invest In Your Child.