Kentucky Legislature & the budget (sales, real estate, how much)

[tomocox]

I think the Governor of Kentucky should tell the people of Kentucky how much of his proposed budget expense is due to unfunded mandates from the US Congress.

I also have an issue with both of the Legislature's targets for filling the gap. Another thread discusses Kentuckian's dislike of expanded gambling. When I think of expanded gambling, I think of Nevada and New Jersey. The two states where legal gambling has existed longest since the great depression also happen to be two states with extremely desperate budget situations. If gambling was the end all to our tax problems, those two diverse states should be without stress.

The other taxable target is services. Currently, Kentucky does not charge sales tax for mechanics, lawyers, HVAC, real estate, accounting, or even lawn mowing. Imagine having to pay 5.5% tax everytime you open your wallet. No matter what you purchase with the possible exception of grocery food or maybe drugs, Kentuckians will just take a 3-4% cost of living hit.

I am ok with gambling as a choice, but the facts are any time a government takes a dollar from our pockets, there is less money to for businesses to hire employees.

[kentuckydad95]

People seem to be against:

Raising income taxes
Creating a tax on services
Expanded gambling
Cutting state services

AND ON AND ON AND ON!!!

The state comes up with solutions to TRY and close the gap on the budget and people do nothing but b--ch and complain and whine and cry. Well guess what? No one likes to spend more money than they have to. If it means me having to pay a few extra tax dollars on something so my deaf son can still get therapy from First Steps, I will pay it. This state is not perfect. No state is perfect. Sure, lawmakers waste money on pet projects. Pet projects have always been around and will continue to be so. So stop shooting down every suggestion the state has and come back to earth and realize that they WILL GET THE MONEY one way or another. Stop being part of the problem.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by tomocox

I think the Governor of Kentucky should tell the people of Kentucky how much of his proposed budget expense is due to unfunded mandates from the US Congress.

I also have an issue with both of the Legislature's targets for filling the gap. Another thread discusses Kentuckian's dislike of expanded gambling. When I think of expanded gambling, I think of Nevada and New Jersey. The two states where legal gambling has existed longest since the great depression also happen to be two states with extremely desperate budget situations. If gambling was the end all to our tax problems, those two diverse states should be without stress.

The other taxable target is services. Currently, Kentucky does not charge sales tax for mechanics, lawyers, HVAC, real estate, accounting, or even lawn mowing. Imagine having to pay 5.5% tax everytime you open your wallet. No matter what you purchase with the possible exception of grocery food or maybe drugs, Kentuckians will just take a 3-4% cost of living hit.

I am ok with gambling as a choice, but the facts are any time a government takes a dollar from our pockets, there is less money to for businesses to hire employees.

Maybe those states are in trouble because they don't know how to budget, not because of the gambling revenue.

Out of KYdad's list I would gladly take expanded gambling. It probably won't solve the problem but out of those four it would be the least painful.