on saturday 06 june 2009 the so called louisiana republican party central committee passed a resolution "opposing all increases in taxes and fees including the cigarette tax."
previously, karen carter peterson a new orleans area democrat had her house bill no. 75 which called for among other things a one dollar per pack increase in the cigarette tax. that bill died in committee.
not to be out done, rep. peterson reintroduced her cigarette tax as house bill no. 889 this time calling for among other things only for a fifty cents per pack tax increase.
both bills are called the "louisiana healthier families act" or as we prefer to call them " karen carter peterson's increase convenience store smash-n-grab robberies, clerk murdering and black marketeering enhancement act of 2009."
anyway, on 08 june 2009, two days after the aforementioned rscc resolution, HB 889 came before the house committee on ways and means where it passed this time by a vote of 8 - 7.
two of the eight favorable votes were cast by republicans - rep. stephen carter and rep. frank hoffmann. if these two so called republicans would have obeyed the resolution (not to mention the republican party platform as well as everything that republicans are supposed to stand for) or if the republican committee chairman hunter greene would have bothered to have voted and voted no, then HB 889 would have stalled in committee.
not long after the committee vote americans for tax reform released the below statement where they actually name names. atr further reveals that rep. carter's word is worth squat because he actually signed a "taxpayer protection pledge" which by this vote he promptly broke.
we guess rep. frank hoffmann is an honest liar cause atr makes no mention of his signing the pledge.
click here to download one page .pdf [262 kb]
contrast atr's statement to what bayou buzz is trying to represent as gop chairman roger villere's "stern response.""On Saturday, the Republican State Central Committee passed overwhelming a resolution in opposition to tax and fee increases. Today, members of the House Ways & Means Committee, whether explicitly or implicitly allowed Speaker Pro-Tem Karen Carter Peterson’s tax increase to go to the floor. I’m disappointed by today’s vote, but I’m hopeful that Republicans and conservative Democrats will stand up for taxpayers and reject this regressive tax that will hurt Louisiana small businesses." ~ sourcechairman villere's incompetence knows no bounds. he doesnt give the bill number, he doesnt name names. he doesnt take the committee chairman to task for not voting. from reading his statement you wouldnt even realize that any republicans played key roles in the bills favorable passage. wtf?
