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Daily Dose for May 21, 2007
Bredesen Continues Cig Tax Tour
Bredesen Continues Cig Tax Tour -- Gov. Bredesen will be in Chattanooga today continuing his tour touting the proposed 40c cigarette tax increase to fully fund the proposed changes to the state's Basic Education Plan. The BEP changes, Bredesen says, are contingent the state approving the 40c per pack increase in the cigarette tax. However, Republicans say they would rather use state surplus dollars to pay for the BEP without increasing taxes. Bredesen was in Knox Co. last week promoting the tax increase - and is speaking before the counties with the most to gain under the proposed BEP changes.
Goetz: Taxes from Businesses, Not Consumers -- State Finance Commissioner Dave Goetz, criticizing Republican plans to return some state surplus dollars to consumers, says that the surplus in state collections came from businesses and not consumers. Goetz: "If they really wanted to give back to the people that are producing the overage, they would give a cut to business taxes ... I'm not making that argument, I'm just looking for the logic." But Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey responded that consumers end up paying corporate taxes anyway. Ramsey: "We know that it's hard to give back (to businesses)," Ramsey said. "We just feel like the surplus needs to go back to the people who are paying the tax in the end anyway."
Richardson Pulled in for Dem Fundraiser -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a presidential contender for the Democratic nomination, will be the speaker for Democrats' biggest event of the year - their annual Jackson Day celebration. Ben Chao, with the Nashville political consulting firm of Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle Inc., has been named political director of Richardson's national campaign - and apparently Richardson is chum with Gov. Bredesen as well.
Lambuth Honors Wilder -- Lambuth University will inherit the permanent collection of longtime Lt. Gov. John Wilder's papers, the University along with plans for a John S. Wilder Institute for Public Service. Jack Wood, Tennessee Room librarian for the Jackson-Madison County Public Library commenting on the collection: "Official correspondences, or if there is a diary or calendars that point to the day-to-day operations of the government, are important to the historian to know how things operate." Lambuth will also establish a scholarship in Wilder's name for students in the fields of public service.
