Let’s play a game.
Step one: Watch the following new television advertisement from the conservative super PAC Vermonters First.
Now, pop quiz: Asked Monday whether they support broadening Vermont’s sales tax to cover not just goods but services rendered, the two major-party candidates running for governor provided the following answers.
Your mission? To guess which response came from Gov. Peter Shumlin, one of those “out-of-control” Democrats running Montpelier, and which came from Sen. Randy Brock (R-Franklin), the free-market savior running to replace him.
Candidate A:
“I think the jury’s still out on broadening the sales tax base,” said Candidate A. “The key is what services are going to be included and what’s the unintended consequences. We have taken zero testimony on that. And until I hear testimony, I’m not going to draw a conclusion.”
Candidate B:
“I have been a longtime opponent of the sales tax. I have watched the sales tax drive jobs and economic opportunities into New Hampshire along the eastern side of the state, and it’s had a devastating impact on jobs and job growth,” said Candidate B. “I have never been enthusiastic about expanding or raising the sales tax. I have always been against it.”
Time’s up! Pencils down.
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“Pop Quiz: Who’s Trying to Tax the Crap Out of Small Businesses?”
Wouldn’t that be a “poop quiz”?
I will agree that the ad is a little jumping the gun, however a few thoughts….
Shumlin opposes the sales tax on goods, there is no mention of taxing services. His comments are irrelevant unless you are trying to skew them to make him come out looking good. A more valid question/response would have been directly tied to taxing services.
Smith said it would need to gain consensus first… Clearly that could happen during a legislative session and prior to the next election cycle.
Ergo, it is not unreasonable for an ad to be bringing the point up.
Reason – (N) A cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event.
To call an entire party “out of control” for an action or event that hasn’t taken place, or proven to actually exist beyond a spoken idea, sure sounds a bit beyond the normal boundaries of reason (i.e., unreasonable). I don’t think anywhere in the article did it state that people shouldn’t be aware of Shap’s statement.
Reason is a noun, what we are looking for here is reasonable, or unreasonable…adjectives.
Regardless, the speaker saying he would like to tax services and having a supermajority behind him, and having a governor that has NOT come out opposing it… that gives enough to at least throw it out there.
I’m going out on a limb and saying you weren’t up in arms about Blittersdorf and his PAC bringing up Dubie was a republican and republicans were anti-abortion therefore Dubie would take away women’s rights.
I agreed people should know about it – but I’m not a fan of anyone bending truth to the degree that it no longer resembles the original facts be it from PACs, Dems, Repubs, RINO’s, Independents or lunch ladies.
Thinking of Dubie typically puts me into naptime. I honestly would have liked to see a little more zeal from the guy.