Senate 47 candidates discuss taxes and spending

That’s not to say other issues didn’t creep into the discussion — they got one yes/no question on immigration — but all of the questions submitted through moderator Mike Buffington of MainStreet Newspapers focused on government spending.

That became apparent with the first question – about the candidates’ top priorities.

Coley led off. His position, which he reiterated several times, is that people do not understand personal finance and “the truth” about money and production.” The nation’s monetary policy, he said, “is undermining our ability to produce.”

Gary proposed a three-step effort to promote the economy starting with tax reform (including “real tax cuts for businesses”) zero-based budgeting and shifting the burden of funding schools fully onto the state as a means of reducing property taxes.

Ginn, moving to his theme, said as a state senator he would work to “empower” local governments to make decision, while at the Senate level he would work on improving the state’s infrastructure.

“How long ago should I-85 have been six-laned, much less eight-laned?” he asked. “These are things we need to work on.”

Bower said his top priority would be education and said the state should “find ways to help our teachers through encouragement, support, listening and taking seriously the things they’re talking about.”

On the subject of funding K-12 education, Gary returned to his “comprehensive tax reform” theme, proposing that schools be funded entirely by the state through a state-wide sales tax. He said Michigan imposed such a system a decade ago “and it worked very well there.”

Ginn appeared to suggest just the opposite, that all funding should be local.

“I don’t want to take money from Jackson County, send it to Atlanta and let them shave off a good portion,” he said. “Decisions on funding schools in Jackson County should be made right here with the people who are accountable.”

Bower pointed out that his home county is “maxed out” on its education property tax rate, and argued that ways must be found to reduce the cost of education.
“What can we do to look at cutting down those costs?” he asked. “Where are we misspending money?”

Coley proposed eliminating property and income taxes and moving to a “fair tax” system,” but one in which money generated in a county would stay in the county. He also suggested that Georgia “needs competition” in education.

Each candidate was asked if he favored the current property tax funding of education or a sales tax for education.

Ginn mostly dodged the question, but returned to his position that local counties should decide how they will fund education.

“Who makes better decisions than you do?” he asked.

Bower suggested that a mix of taxing systems would be appropriate, again pointing out that Oglethorpe County could not produce enough sales tax to operate its schools.

“We’ve (Oglethorpe County) got to depend on landowners paying,” he said. “They don’t like it. I don’t like it, but that’s a reality. The bottom line is we’ve got to cut spending. We’ve got to stop throwing money around like it’s growing on trees.”

Coley said he favored a sales (“consumption use”) tax, in part because “people get the pain every time they make a purchase, but they are able to avoid the tax if they want to save.”

Gary called property taxes “the most unfair tax of all. They don’t depend on your income, they don’t depend on your ability to pay, and they don’t depend on the government services you use.”

He also proposed financing government through a “broadly based sales tax” and “moving away from income taxes.”

Not surprisingly, all of the candidates expressed opposition to “unfunded mandates” passed down by the state.

Candidates were asked about ideas to improve the economy.

Coley said the key is understanding “the truth about money and the truth about production,” and proposed that the state should reduce the size of government.

Gary argued that unfunded mandates drive up local taxes, and again proposed that the state take over all funding for education because “the state constitution makes it (education) an obligation of the state.”

Ginn suggested that the state suspend its $80/acre charge for land disturbing permits as a means of promoting development.

Bower pled ignorance.

“I don’t know how to stimulate the Jackson County economy,” he confessed, “but I’m looking at a room full of people who do. … Help me help us. I don’t have the solution for your problems over here, but I think you do.”

Would the candidates support a statewide sales tax to “offset” some of the state’s budget problems?

Not if it’s an additional tax, said Gary, but yes if it replaces a current tax. Gary also said statewide budget reform should be a part of the process.

Ginn indicated he preferred a county-by-county tax to keep the Department of Revenue out of the loop, Bower proposed a “mix” of taxes, including an additional sales tax approved county by county, and Coley said he’d favor a sales tax only if it replaced other taxes — and reiterated his position that spending should be cut.

The final question was a yes/no question asking if the candidates would support an immigration bill similar to that passed in Arizona. Coley, Gary and Bower all said they opposed the bill. Ginn never provided a yes or no answer, but like the other candidates, agreed that immigration should be better controlled.