DOES GOVERNOR CARE WHAT'S BEST FOR TAXPAYERS? (CON/AMENDMENT 4)

We have a man who promised not to increase taxes without a vote of the people and then broke that promise and gave us the largest tax increase without a vote of the people in the history of our state. Now this tax man wants us to believe that he has our best interests at heart with Amendment 4. He promises to let us vote on tax increases of $50 million or more, but he failed to mention that the lid is indexed so the amount by which our taxes can be raised without a vote increases every year. He also fails to mention that the lid only covers the first year that the tax generates too much money. If the tax goes over his lid in later years, it is not subject to a vote.

Currently we as taxpayers can challenge violations of the tax lid in the Supreme Court, but with this new amendment only the state's top elected officials will be allowed to challenge the tax lid. More of our rights would slip away.

You might also be interested to know that this new tax lid offers no protection against state exemptions for new taxes passed under this new law from the current protection we already have under the original Hancock Amendment.

People, wake up. Don't be taken in by the tax man. Vote no on Amendment 4.

Veronica Hunt is a resident of West Plains.