Tag Archives: fiscal responsibility

Dealing with the Debt Limit

By Representative Steve Austria

With the national unemployment reaching 9.2 percent recently, it is clear that the borrowing and spending policies of this Administration have not worked. Since January 2009 took office, the national debt has increased by $3.7 trillion. And now, our federal treasury has literally reached its limit. With the debt ceiling limit set to be reached August 2, I am working tirelessly with my Republican colleagues to pass a bill that will ensure the federal government remains open and pays its bills and obligations. Earlier this year I joined my colleagues in voting NO to raising the debt ceiling when it was offered as a standalone bill as we should not be giving out a blank check that puts the tab on our children and grandchildren. As the negotiations continue, there must be three structural changes within the compromise: 1) the spending cuts must exceed the debt limit; 2) we must cut up the credit card and stop the egregious Washington borrowing and spending; and 3) we must do this all without increasing taxes on hardworking Americans and job creators.

I have long-opposed this Administration’s spending spree and huge expansion of government in our lives, which in the past 18 months has included the $2 trillion government takeover of health care, the $1 trillion “stimulus” package, and countless “bailouts.” I have supported putting our country back on a Path to Prosperity by helping our job creators and I support the efforts to balance the budget.

It is time to take America in a new direction. Right now, Republicans control the House of Representatives, which is only 1/3 of the federal government, but we are committed to representing the American people. And for our families in the 7th District of Ohio, I know times are tough, but please be assured that I will continue to work to reverse the wasteful Washington spending that has plagued families and small businesses in Ohio.

State (& Local) Tax Revenue Decline : A Perspective

By Daniel Downs

A new state revenue report by the Tax Foundation came our yesterday. The report entitled “State Revenue Changes from 2008 to 2009” reveals Ohio tax revenues declined 8.7 percent the period assessed. Ohio ranked 28 which amounted to 2/10 of a percent below the national average of 8.9 percent.

Alaska suffered the highest percent of revenue decline at 51.9 percent. The next highest was Arizona at 19.7 percent, followed by California at 15 percent, and then Idaho at 14.1 percent. The state with the highest percent of tax revenue gain was Wyoming at 13.9 percent, followed by North Dakota at 4.3 percent, and then by Oregon at 1.9 percent.

The report also broke out the tax revenue losses by tax category i.e., property tax, individual income tax, corporate income tax, general sales tax, and selective other taxes. Ohio didn’t report property taxes collected. However, the report did show that the greatest loss of tax revenue in Ohio originated from corporate income declines. The percent of corporate income tax revenue decline was 36.6 percent, whereas individual income tax revenue decline only 16.8 percent. Sales tax revenue declined a mere 7.1 percent.

The high level of corporate income tax loss is due to the closing of both large and small businesses throughout the Ohio as a result of the great recession. Both greedy investors and power-mongering politicians must be thanked for the losses.

As mentioned in previous posts, the loss of tax revenues by Ohio government came after consistent increases in tax revenue and increased spending. The report brings this out very clearly in its historical statistics. When those national statistics are added up, the total percent of tax revenue increase was 19.7 percent, that is the total average increase for the nation from 2000 through 2007. The total decline from 2008 through 2009 was 9.2 percent.

The last paragraph of the report puts these above figures in proper perspective:

“Although state tax revenue decreased significantly during fiscal year 2009, the decrease is almost exactly matched by earlier years of major increases. Over the last decade, adjusting for inflation, state tax revenues have increased by 6.1 percent. When controlling for population, tax revenues are down about one percent.”

Like Xenia, many local communities are getting less money from the State because of the decline in tax revenues collected. As the report indicates, the real loss is only about 1 percent. That is why during times such as these taxpayers should not allow government officials to raise taxes to cover short-term fiscal problems is wrong. it is simply wrong to fix short-term financial problems with permanent taxes. The right thing is to assure that public officials practice fiscal and budgetary restraint. If necessary, they can always dip into the million dollar plus reserve fund until the economy actually recovers.

Xenia Tea Party A Success for Liberty

On Saturday April 24, the first Tea Party began at 4 pm on the steps to the historic Greene County Courthouse. As historic as justice is for all within the walls of that symbolic building was the success of first local Tea Party in Greene County. It was fitting that it took place in Xenia, the seat of Greene County governance.

If memory serves, the first Tea Party held in Boston Massachusetts initiated the successful resistance to corrupt government, its many threats and usurpation to both the inherent and positive rights of our British colonial ancestors, and finally to the independent sovereign statehood as well as our national compact consisting of both social contract and divine covenant.

Xenia Tea Party was a rally for the restoration of principles upon which the sovereignty our state is secured and federal governance is limited. That is, it was a rally for the restoration of the rule of Constitutional law and of making elected representatives and unelected officials accountable to it for the good of all citizens.

Xenia Tea Party also was a platform to those seeking election to local, state, and federal offices. As a platform without due coverage by the media, ordinary citizens with extraordinary abilities and determination presented their qualifications, ideas, and/or positions on issue. Of course, everyone I heard wants to represent the rest of us in the effort to bring about real change: the restoration of strict Constitutional governance, fiscal responsibility, and personal liberty. The Tea Party also provided stump for representatives of organizations like Ohio Freedom Alliance, Ohio Open Carry rights organization, and Stop Xenia Tax, all of which are working with state and local officials to the same ends.

The candidates included John Mitchel, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives against incumbent Steve Austria. Mitchel spoke briefly about the continued corruption of our current federal government and a pending investigation of Steve Austria. His priorities are government reform to control earmarks and spending, tax reform for fair and equitable taxing, and imposing term limits.

Scott Rupert is running for Ohio Senate. He is an independent from Northern Ohio. He represents people who value a commonsense approach to resolving societal and political issues rather than party agendas. In other words, Rupert is not a elitist who is out-of-touch with ordinary hard working people. One good reason to vote for him–he says he won’t seek to impose entitlements on us by means of trillions more in taxes and spending. In return, fewer families will likely face bankruptcy and maybe even retain more of their hard earned income.

One of the speakers not campaigning for office was Mickey Denin. In his speech entitled The United States Has Become The Nation It Rebelled Against, he made the following comments:

The colonists’ vision of limited government, taxation without representation was a problem, but so was representation without taxation—that is, voting by those who were at the mercy of the wealthy and thus easy to bribe. Colonial leaders quoted the English jurist Blackstone’s accepted view that if those “in so mean a situation as to be esteemed to have no will of their own” were given the vote, they would be tools of the powerful. Colonists discussed the right level of property qualification, one that would exclude the dependent while encouraging voting by all those with a “stake in society.

Yet in our society today we have large burdensome government, with career politicians who essentially hand pick their successors through the party system. These career politicians have figured out how to bribe the poor to earn their vote. Now nearly half of all Americans pay no federal income taxes and the only stake they have in society what they receive from society not what they contribute to society.

Maybe that is why many liberals are so intent on taking away our guns.

After his discussion about the progress of the movement in Ohio for the right to openly own and carry guns, Josh Diaz of Ohio Concealed Carry gave a rather lengthy talk on why Americans must elect representatives who will at least reduce, if not end, the tax burden imposed by all levels of government.

John Anderson is a libertarian running for Congress. He had a more detailed plan that is worthy of consideration, which can be read by going to johnandersonforcongress.com

While Anderson was the first speaker, Andy Myers of the Ohio Freedom Alliance was the last. He briefly shared the various bills the Alliance has either been passed or are in the legislative process, all of which can be seen at the Ohio Freedom Alliance website.

Not last and not least was the host of the first successful Tea Party in Xenia, Virgil Vaduva, who is also running against incumbent Alan Anderson for Greene County Commissioner. Vaduva has been proving his dedication to upholding and enforcing our laws. For instance, the election laws Xenia officials were violating. His ability to get things done is another of his abilities. For more information about him and his campaign, go to Virgil Vaduva for Greene County Commissioner.