Tobacco Tax Game Continues

I understand the tobacco tax debate. Reducing the grocery tax is good for people. Increasing the cigarette tax is good for people. The Governor has continually vetoed every tax proposal, so you throw something in front of him that's revenue neutral. This has the advantage of being wildly popular and you can spin it as Barbour being more loyal to his lobbying clients than the people of Mississippi. In that regard, it's pretty damaging among those who aren't Republican base voters.

What I don't understand is why, while you're on your announcement tour, you pull this out of your pocket. Franks has an impressive list of policy proposals. He knows how to cover the uninsured, he knows how to improve economic development, and he has an alternative energy promotion program that's second to none. Why do this today?

But to their credit, they're framing the contest. Between the AP article where Franks says " I am as conservative as any Republican" and this they've summed it up. Jamie Franks shares your values and will value your well being. Charlie Ross and Phil Bryant don't.

My only fear is that you're letting them decide the battlefield.

2 in GOP spurn Franks' tobacco tax pledge

By Natalie Chandler
natalie.chandler@clarionledger.com

State Rep. Jamie Franks, the lone Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, promised to support a cigarette tax increase and challenged the two Republican candidates to do the same.

But State Auditor Phil Bryant and Sen. Charlie Ross said they would not agree.

"No way," Bryant said. "As a Republican, it's not my nature to sign a pledge to increase taxes."

Said Ross: "I'm not into making pledges to increase people's taxes, especially when the overall tax burden on Mississippi needs to be reduced going forward."

The winner of the Aug. 7 contest between Ross and Bryant will compete against Franks in the general election in November. The winner is seeking to replace Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, who cannot seek a third term.

Franks, of Mooreville, signed a pledge authored by Communities For a Clean Bill of Health at a Tuesday news conference in Jackson kicking off his campaign. The organization is asking each legislative candidate to support a $1-per-pack cigarette tax increase.

Franks said his grandfather died at age 62 of lung cancer.

"He had two brothers that died in their early 60s from smoking," Franks said. "Smoking kills. That's why, for health reasons and to offset the grocery tax reduction, I'm signing the pledge."

Bryant and Ross this year opposed legislation that would have raised cigarette taxes by $1 and cut the 7 percent grocery tax in half. The measure died when Senate Finance Committee Chairman Tommy Robertson, R-Moss Point, chose not to bring it up for discussion in his committee.

Bryant mirrored recent comments by Gov. Haley Barbour, saying, "I'll be glad to look at an overall review of the tax structure. If there's any way to make it more equitable, I'm certainly willing to look at it."

Ross said the Legislature should focus on "creating a pro-business environment by creating a tax environment that will be conducive to the creation of jobs and reducing the overall tax burden on Mississippians."