Joe Turnham: Democratic plan better than Bridges’

State Rep. DuWayne Bridges has been given the sponsorship of a GOP legislative proposal on the eve of the 20th of 30 legislative days.
After having voted three consecutive times this session against a measure that would give the voters of Alabama a chance to vote up or down on a proposal to remove the 4 percent sales tax on groceries, Rep. Bridges and his Republican Caucus are only now offering this meager “tax credit” plan.

Bridges and his colleagues have been stung by grassroots outrage as they have unanimously opposed even bringing the Democratic Grocery Tax Removal up for debate.

Bridges is quoted in Friday’s Opelika-Auburn News as saying “turning a blind eye to the unemployed and impoverished is unconscionable.”

I agree, Rep. Bridges.

So why not allow the grocery tax removal bill to come up for debate and allow a legislative vote and then put it on a ballot for us all to vote on?

Bridges home county of Chambers County has unemployment rates approaching 20 percent and even those who are employed are becoming financially distressed. Every single one of these families would receive an immediate tax break on food under the Democratic Plan that Bridges opposes. Many Alabama citizens are already going over the state line to buy groceries in Georgia where they are 4 percent cheaper.

The Bridges proposal does nothing to address the middle class family or working poor who make over $22,000.

His proposal makes you file forms at the end of the year to get your $65 to $260 tax credit and food stamp recipients are already exempt from state tax.

The Democratic proposal applies across the board to every person who buys groceries and they get it every time they buy food.

The average family of four under the Democratic plan will realize $460 in tax savings and the ability to buy more food.
Bridges’ claim that most small business owners will pay more tax is simply not true.

Only 6 percent of Alabama taxpayers will pay more net taxes. Much of the new burden will be born by out-of-state corporations and their lobbyists.

Some 90 percent of LLC’s will not pay additional taxes under the Democratic Plan.

A small local business that has $300,000 of adjusted gross income earned from three states would still have a tax credit of $10,533 under Alabama’s tax law.

Only Alabama and Mississippi still tax food.

Alabama’s total net tax burden is still the lowest in the nation and the Democratic tax adjustment will not affect that status.

Rep. Bridges says he wants a plan “that removes the grocery tax using conservative principles and without increased broad based taxes.”

The Democratic plan achieves that goal and gives the constituents of District 38 the right to vote up or down on whether to remove the 4 percent tax on their bread, eggs, milk, cereal and baby formula.

Don’t confuse us, let House Bill 116 come up for debate and allow the people of Alabama to make up their own mind.

Joe Turnham lives in Auburn and is the Alabama Democratic Party Chairman.