2011 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Tax Reform
Tom Corbett:
Tax increases choke growth; tax people less
Tax increases choke growth. Every credible study on the subject has taught us this: the states that have grown the fastest, attracted the most jobs, have stayed out of the way. If you tax less, people will see the point in earning more.
If you regulate more sensibly, businesses will be able to maneuver in the turns of tight economies. The third reason not to increase taxes is pretty simple. The voters said no. We are four months out from the election that sent us here.
Source: 2011 State of the State speech to Pennsylvania legislature
Mar 8, 2011
Tom Corbett:
Tax increases choke growth; tax people less
Tax increases choke growth. Every credible study on the subject has taught us this: the states that have grown the fastest, attracted the most jobs, have stayed out of the way. If you tax less, people will see the point in earning more.
If you regulate more sensibly, businesses will be able to maneuver in the turns of tight economies. The third reason not to increase taxes is pretty simple. The voters said no. We are four months out from the election that sent us here.
It was run on a three part theme: jobs, jobs and jobs. And every time someone was asked about new taxes they gave a three part answer: no, no and no. It's time to connect the dots. So, to the people of Pennsylvania, the taxpayers who sent us here,
I want to say something you haven't heard often enough from this building: We get the picture. It's your money.
Source: 2011 State of the State speech to Pennsylvania legislature
Mar 8, 2011
Paul LePage:
End marriage penalty; increase personal exemptions
Our budget eliminates the marriage penalty & increases the personal exemption for all Mainers. Coupled with a higher standard deduction, our changes completely eliminate state tax liability for an additional 15,000 Mainers at our lowest income levels.
Our budget also ends indexing of the gas tax in the second year, a levy that is especially hard on working Maine families and gets passed on to virtually every Maine business.
Source: Maine 2011 State of the State Address
Feb 10, 2011
Rick Perry:
Balance our budget without raising taxes
We just can't forget that dollars do far more to create jobs and prosperity in the people's hands, than they can in the government's. Taking more money away from Texas families and employers is not the answer to our challenges because they've already
sacrificed plenty. Balancing our budget without raising taxes will certainly set a nice example for the rest of the nation, but we have a bigger motivation. Balancing our budget without raising taxes will keep us moving forward out of these tough economi
times, creating more jobs and opportunity and leaving Texas more competitive than ever. Now, the mainstream media and big government interest groups are doing their best to convince us that we're facing a budget Armageddon.
Texans don't believe it and they shouldn't because it's not true. Are we facing some tough choices? Of course, but we can overcome them by setting priorities, cutting bureaucracy, reducing spending and focusing on what really matters to Texas families.
Source: 2011 Texas State of the State Address
Feb 8, 2011
Steve Beshear:
Taxes are not the answer; no broad-based increases
I have opposed broad-based tax increases in Kentucky, and I will continue to oppose them during this legislative session. I will not threaten the survival and growth of our businesses at this perilous moment. I will not burden our families as they
struggle to survive. And I will not jeopardize our fragile recovery. Last October, the national Tax Foundation ranked Kentucky's Business Tax Climate 19th best in the nation, up an incredible 15 spots in one year. We're ahead of neighbors Illinois,
Ohio, West Virginia and Tennessee, which was ranked 27th. Taxes are not the answer. And neither is decimating our priorities--education, creating jobs and public safety. Instead, we have acted in a calm, strategic and measured way to rein in government
with an eye not just on short-term survival but also on long-term progress. And that strategy is working. The light at the end of the tunnel is real, and we are moving closer to it.
Source: 2011 Kentucky State of the State Address
Feb 1, 2011
Jerry Brown:
Only choice is raise taxes to deal with extreme difficulty
At this moment of extreme difficulty, it behooves us to turn to the people and get a clear mandate on how we should proceed: either to extend the taxes as I fervently believe or cut deeply into the programs from which--under federal law--we can still
extract the sums required.From the time I first proposed what I believe to be a balanced approach to our budget deficit--both cuts and a temporary extension of current taxes--dozens of groups affected by one or another of the proposed cuts have said w
should cut somewhere else instead. Still others say we should not extend the current taxes but let them go away.
So far, however, these same people have failed to offer even one alternative solution.
Wherever I look, I see difficult choices. But I also see a bright future up ahead and a California economy that is on the mend.
Source: 2011 California State of the State Address
Jan 31, 2011
Peter Shumlin:
Raise state budget reserve from 5% to 8%, for tough times
It should be abundantly clear that the current reserve of 5% of our state budget is not adequate to withstand tough times. I call upon the legislature to join me in raising our reserves to 8% as soon as we return to better times.
Critics might also ask: why are we not raising taxes? Our top income tax rate is not 5%; it is nearly 9%. Our tax rates must remain competitive with other New England states to grow jobs.
Source: 2011 Vermont State of the State Address
Jan 25, 2011
Neil Abercrombie:
Add alcohol & soft drink tax; repeal state tax deduction
I am proposing 2 fixes to the tax code that will increase revenues to the state. One is a repeal of the state tax deduction for state taxes--an absurdity in the tax code, the elimination of which is long overdue. This change will affect all taxpayers who
itemize, so we will phase in implementation for middle-income earners to lessen the immediate effect.The other fix is to implement the recommendation of the Tax Review Commission to treat pension income like all other income for tax purposes, as is
done when preparing federal taxes. My proposal includes a provision so those who are most dependent on their pensions will not be taxed.
I am proposing what is an overdue increase in the alcohol tax and will also propose a fee on soda & similar drinks.
We can no longer ignore the fact that consumption of these & other such products contribute to rising public health costs. Revenues from these fees will be used to repair the public health infrastructure and also to fund prevention and education programs
Source: 2011 Hawaii State of the State Address
Jan 24, 2011
Jay Nixon:
Remove tax credits which are bad returns on investment
A bi-partisan tax credit commission spent four months reviewing Missouri's 61 tax credit programs. They looked at which credits are giving taxpayers a good return on their investment--and which are not. I ask the members of the
Legislature to allow this commission to present its recommendations at open hearings in the House and Senate. We should give the commission's report serious and full consideration. Because Missourians work hard for their money.
We owe it to taxpayers to make sure they get the best bang for their buck. Creating jobs. Balancing the budget without raising taxes. Investing in the future.
Making government smarter and more efficient. All of these things are essential to the well-being of our state.
Source: 2011 Missouri State of the State Address
Jan 19, 2011
Susana Martinez:
NM is not under-taxed. revenue enhancements vetoed
We must remember that the long-term solution to our budget woes is economic growth. We increase revenue by helping small businesses create new jobs--not by government creating new taxes. Let me speak plainly: New Mexicans are not under-taxed.
The government has simply over-spent.I applaud the Legislative Finance Committee for putting forth a budget proposal that doesn't include tax increases and doesn't try to raid the permanent fund. Unfortunately, some are still pushing tax hikes:
Doubling the tax when you buy a car. Taxing job creators. Even taxing the Internet. To make them sound better, some call them "revenue enhancements." They can be called many things but they will all be vetoed.
I've long said that government doesn't
create jobs. Government creates the environment where small businesses can create those jobs. We must recognize that in a global economy, businesses will choose to locate and expand in areas that encourage--not impede--job growth.
Source: 2011 New Mexico State of the State Address
Jan 18, 2011
Earl Ray Tomblin:
Reduce, then remove, regressive & unfair sales tax on food
I call for a one-third reduction in our sales tax on food from 3 cents to 2 cents. Several years ago--in a responsible manner--we moved toward removing this regressive, unfair tax. And while we do not have the capability to remove it all at this time--
I believe we can make this fiscally responsible reduction. It is this type of broad tax relief that will help all those trying to make ends meet. Every little bit counts. It is my intention to eliminate the entire food tax over the next few years.
Source: 2011 W.V. State of the State Address
Jan 12, 2011
Haley Barbour:
Cut budget by $700M, instead of raising taxes
As Governor I have cut the budget by a total of about $700 million in just the last two years. Just as our constituents have cut back, they expect state government to cut back. They know the alternative is raising taxes, because government has no money
except what it takes from taxpayers. The people of Mississippi deserve to keep more of what they earn, and we owe it to the people of Mississippi not to raise taxes and to control spending.Not only do I urge you not to consider tax increases this year
I implore you to keep spending at a level this year that protects more of our reserves for next year. That is the way to stop any tax increases in 2012.
Remember, what we have accomplished in controlling spending over seven years can be lost in only one year. Our first year you passed and I signed the most comprehensive tort reform law in the country, and it worked.
Source: 2011 Mississippi State of the State Address
Jan 11, 2011
Mike Beebe:
Cut regressive grocery sales tax now; eliminate it later
My proposed budget sets aside a relatively small amount of money for tax relief to continue attacking the sales tax on groceries. A half-cent cut is not much. I'd like to do more. But it is the most broad-based tax relief we can offer to our citizens a
this time, and it shows our continued commitment and dedication to eliminating this regressive tax.Beyond that, I don't see any room for additional tax cuts or significant increases in program funding. If we are to retain the enviable national
position we now hold, we must remain cautious & conservative. If you make a proposal that seeks to cut revenue or increase spending, the only responsible approach is to state precisely where that money is coming from. If the proposal calls for a tax cut
then it is only fair to detail exactly which existing programs you will cut to offset that loss in funding. Abstract claims of hypothetical future growth don't change the immediate impact that a tax cut will have on state revenues and state services.
Source: 2011 Arkansas State of the State Address
Jan 11, 2011
Butch Otter:
Reduce tax burden; lower rates for individuals & businesses
I encourage you to seriously consider legislation being introduced by Representative Marv Hagedorn. His bill would equalize and then gradually reduce our marginal State income tax rates for individuals and businesses over ten years, starting in 2013.
But whether it's that bill or an alternative, we need a long-term plan for reducing the tax burden on our citizens. That will go a long way toward providing a competitive advantage for Idahoans, stimulating economic growth and expanding our tax base.
Source: Idaho 2011 State of the State and Budget Address
Jan 10, 2011
Andrew Cuomo:
NY has 2nd highest state and local tax burden in the nation
The national economic decline has hurt New York especially hard. We are in the midst of the Great Recession where nearly 800,000 New Yorkers are unemployed and our people are facing the crush of the second highest combined state and local tax burden
in the nation. New York's already hostile business climate--ranked 50th in the nation--must change if we are to have prosperity. Our government costs are simply unsustainable. New Yorkers see the dysfunction and they're voting with their feet by leaving.
Source: 2011 State of the State speech to New York legislature
Jan 5, 2011
Page last updated: Dec 04, 2018