BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Yellowhammer CEO Cliff Sims took to Twitter on Wednesday to criticize Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley’s recent claim that eliminating tax deductions would not constitute a violation of his campaign pledge to not raise taxes in his second term.
According to Legislative Fiscal Office numbers cited by the Birmingham News, the state could bring in an additional $434 million by revoking Alabamians’ ability to deduct the amount they pay in federal income taxes from their state income taxes. Additionally, eliminating Alabama taxpayers’ ability to deduct their FICA payments — the 7.65 percent from employees’ paychecks that goes toward Social Security and Medicare — would raise another $260 million per year.
“I am not for raising taxes and this actually would not be raising taxes,” Bentley said earlier this week. “It would be taking away some deductions. That is certainly one of the things we’ll be looking at.”
Sims responded with a string of tweets Wednesday afternoon.
(If tweets are not visible below, you can view them here)
1/ @GovernorBentley's argument that raising taxes by eliminating deductions is somehow not raising taxes is absurd.
— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) December 3, 2014
2/ If my taxes increase — no matter how they increase — it's a tax increase.
— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) December 3, 2014
3/ @GovernorBentley campaigned on "NO NEW TAXES." Eliminating deductions would be, by definition, levying "new taxes."
— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) December 3, 2014
4/ @GovernorBentley has always been a man of his word. I'm confident he'll keep his "No New Taxes" promise. pic.twitter.com/VYkKnbvONs
— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) December 3, 2014
5/ Gov. Bentley has a tough job. But current budget predicament reminds me of how Churchill used to describe US's decision-making process…
— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) December 3, 2014
6/ "You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they've tried everything else." – Winston Churchill
— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) December 3, 2014
7/ …Counting on that being the case with Gov. Bentley on Alabama's budgets and new taxes. He's just working through a difficult decision.
— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) December 3, 2014
In addition to Gov. Bentley’s “No New Taxes” campaign advertising during this election cycle, he also signed the Americans for Tax Reform “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” in 2012. The pledge states that elected officials who sign it will not only oppose all efforts to raise taxes, but will also “oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”
But what do you think? Would Gov. Bentley be breaking his “No New Taxes” campaign promise by eliminating tax deductions? Let us know what you think in the comment section below, or by tweeting @YHN or weighing in on our Facebook.
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