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June 4, 2007 – For immediate release...
Contact:
- Bill Howell, 615-289-1397 (cell)
Over 120 supporters of Tax Swap greet legislators at State
Capitol
At the State Capitol today (Monday), over 120 supporters
of the Tax Swap gathered to let their voice be heard. Knowing
that the House of Representatives would go into session at
noon to resume debate of the cigarette tax increase and food
tax cut, supporters of the swap lined the walls of the Legislative
Plaza beginning at 11:30 holding signs and wearing brightly-colored
stickers reading "Fair Taxes NOT Food Taxes." The
crowd of supporters stretched along both walls from the cafeteria
of the Legislative Plaza to the escalator going up to the
State Capitol, where legislators going into session would
have to pass and see them and the food tax message on their
way into session.
In a jubilant mood, supporters cheered sponsors of the Tax
Swap as they made their way down the hall to go into session
and encouraged those who have not yet signed on as sponsors
to support the common-sense measure. "We gave out lots
of handouts to legislators," states Phil Schoggen who
joined many others for the strong show of support, adding,
"The fact that we could turn out such a large crowd with
only three days notice shows how much people care about this
issue."
Tennessee currently has the highest state and local food
tax in the nation with an average combined rate of 8.35%.
"That's just morally offensive," states Schoggen.
"Nobody but Tennessee taxes food at such an exorbitant
rate... Heck, most states don't tax food at all, much less
at such a high rate." Supporters of a permanent food
tax cut note that at 8.35%, Tennessee's food tax takes a full
month's worth of groceries off the table of every Tennessee
family each year. Schoggen adds, "If you spend $400 a
month on groceries, then you pay $400 a year in food taxes.
If you spend $600 a month on groceries, then you pay $600
a year in food taxes. It's that simple... and it's that wrong."
Advocates of the Tax Swap, including Tennesseans for Fair
Taxation (TFT), have been supporting the Food Tax - Cigarette
Tax Swap (SB93/HB114) that would cut the state food tax in
half, paid for with a 44-cent increase in the state cigarette
tax. "We're willing to find a middle ground with the
Governor and legislative leaders on a bill that also funds
the Governor's education initiatives," states Schoggen
of TFT, "but we're not willing to go home without a permanent,
across-the-board cut in the state's high food tax. That's
our line in the sand."
House leaders have agreed to include a small cut in the
state food tax, from 6 to 5.5%, as part of the 40 cent cigarette
tax increase likely to be voted on today. "While we'd
like to see more, this is a good first step," adds
Schoggen. "We're going to continue over the coming
week or two to fight for as big a food tax cut as we can
win... not a holiday either, but a real, permanent cut that
applies to all food, all the time."
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