“REPUBLICAN” HOUSE MEMBERS DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH TAX HIKE DURING ELECTION YEAR
Members of the S.C. House of Representatives don’t like to talk about it during the current election year, but last year they passed a totally unnecessary $427 million gas tax hike.
In fact they did so overwhelmingly … only to see S.C. Senator Tom Davis thwart the entire effort by filibustering a similar tax hike in the S.C. Senate.
(Davis, incidentally, is mounting another filibuster this year … and God bless him for that).
Of course Davis is blocking a much larger tax hike – one that’s being pushed by fiscally liberal members of the Senate (who are even more greedy than their fiscally liberal counterparts in the House).
Assuming twenty-four members of the State Senate could be convinced to end Davis’ filibuster (a.k.a. “sit him down”), an $800 million gas tax hike is all but assured to pass the Senate.
If that happened, what’s known as a “conference committee” would be convened to iron out the differences between the House and Senate proposals. This committee of lawmakers would then submit a compromise plan to be voted on by both chambers.
Would such a “compromise” clear the House?
Good question …
We’ve spoken to several House members who say they have no intention of supporting the gas tax this year – assuming some version of it makes it out of the Senate alive.
One of these lawmakers – S.C. Rep. Chris Corley – went on the record saying so this week.
“My one big mistake in the House as a freshman was voting for the gas tax,” Corley wrote on social media. “Not because I believed in it, but because I felt like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day!”
Corley said he and his colleagues held “the exact same Caucus meeting once a week for eleven weeks and nothing got accomplished.”
“I figured since it was destined for conference committee we should just pass it out,” he said. “I’ll never make that mistake again!!”
We’ve spoken to multiple GOP lawmakers who feel the same way. We’ve spoken to others who said they supported a small gas tax hike but no longer believe it is necessary due to the state’s recent sustained revenue increases. In fact several House members told us they were privately cheering on Davis’ filibuster – hoping it would kill the gas tax hike so they wouldn’t have to take it up again.
Ha!
We’re cheering Davis, too … albeit for more utilitarian reasons.
17 comments
“Corley said he and his colleagues held “the exact same Caucus meeting once a week for eleven weeks and nothing got accomplished.””
Now that’s what I call “progress”. Getting nothing done, every day, would be a nice way to make things better.
The ol’ saying, “When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” seems to apply here.
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Let the roads continue to deteriorate. This is the South. Dirt roads, bridges out, pot holes and danger are a way of life.
Ha! That’s right. South Carolina MUST keep its place on the bottom of all lists. Why should we strive for excellence? Excellence costs $$$$ and no one in SC wants it badly enough in any category to fork out the money to achieve it. Well, except for the legislators who RECEIVE all kinds of $$$$ that is forked over to them. If we keep on at this rate we’ll certainly beat Mississippi as last in everything. Go, SC! Dumb spiro!
There is plenty of money from the $1.2 billion surplus to fix existing roads now. The bloodsuckers want more boondoggle money for roads to nowhere that nobody needs.
doing something costs money
They must be doing a hell of a lot, they keep spending more money than they have.
I derive inspiration from the rustic lines of my modest little drainage culvert with a majestic view of the bridge. Some mornings, I just lay in my washing machine crate and muse about meaning as gulls circle the garbage scows passing through the pastels of dawn at the edge of the city.
The whips and scorns of time, the oppressor’s wrongs, the proud man’s rebuke, the pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, the insolence of office, the suffering the unworthy duly bears – to grunt and sweat under a weary life – all pass before my bloodshot eyes… ah -then the world seems none so bad, and I myself a sterling lad; here, down in the lovely muck I’ve lain, happy till I woke again.
But when again I see the morning sky: Hi ho! the wings of joy, the flight to heaven was all a lie; the world, it is the old world yet, I am still I – shivering – my things are wet, and nothing now remains to do, but begin the game anew.
Thank you, Shakespeare
How about Houseman? What’s he, ground liver?
NC collects much more yet has twice the size list of deficiencies.
Maybe Donnie Myears hit a pothole that caused his wreck. He’s already changed his tune and is saying someone ran him off the road. BS.
Raise the gas tax and make EVERYBODY contribute,Welfare bums like Flip etc… live on the public dole receiving taxpayer dollars while the rest of us carry the load.
I agree. I am getting tired of driving down roads that would be considered bad in war-torn Syria.
I hope that they are not around to make that mistake again.
Yo…you gutless flag-ripping SC legislators…we’ve got your “gas” and your “hike” coming up this November
And don’t worry if you slime your way past the primaries…this General Election is one you’ll NOT want to remember !!!
Out of state drivers passing through pay 1/3 of our gas tax. Do what Haley recommends and increase the gas tax and decrease the income tax.