Tuesday, August 19, 2003

Here is some help from South Alabamians for Real Real Reform

Help For Understanding
The Newspaper and TV articles and advertisements.

August 10

I have found that doublespeak is being used in the newspaper and TV articles and advertisements and I have decide to give you a way to be able to know what these doublespeak words mean so you may understand what is being said.

Example #1
Friday August 3rd Mobile Register under Governor’s Tax Plan the following statement are made in their schedule of coverage:
“Tuesday: Sales Tax changes” Changes = tax increase
“Wednesday: Cigarette Tax…would boost” Boost = tax increase
“Today: Bank Tax … would be overhauled” Overhauled = tax increase
“Saturday: Utility taxes …would be altered” Altered = tax increase
“Sunday: Insurance premium tax-changes would be” Changes = tax increase
“Monday: Individual Income Tax…is the overhaul of…” Overhaul = tax increase
“Wednesday: Business property tax…revamped” Revamped = tax increase
“Thursday: Timberland/Farmland…several changes” Changes = tax increase
“Aug. 15th: Vehicle property tax …would be revised” Revised = tax increase
“Aug. 16th: Residential property tax…would alter” Alter = tax increase
“Aug. 17th: Utility property tax…would be overhauled” Overhauled= tax decrease
Note: Overhaul(ed) when used for individuals means a tax increase, but when used for Utilities it means a tax decrease since they cut a deal to raise the sales tax on utilities 43.75% on consumers and lower the utilities property tax from 30% to 22% over the next several years.

Example #2
Saturday August 9, Mobile Register front page under the article in the lower left hand corner entitled;
“Some customers would see their utilities bills rise”. Some = all get a tax increase
Note the 4% utility tax is increased to 5.75% or a 43.75% increase in the utility tax

Example # 3
Saturday Night on the WALA channel 5 news 10PM an advertisement by the Governors Tax Promotion Pac said: “The big timber companies have spent 1.8 MM to defeat the…Governors middle class tax reduction plan…” tax reduction = tax increase
Note: families making less than $20,000 get an income tax cut, but everything else they buy goes up! Electricity, property, sales, cigarette, insurance, and vehicles tax. In addition the price of lumber, banking services, and every business will raise their prices due to higher property tax and corporate income tax. The poor will be poorer, not better off!

You can see it is very difficult to understand when you do not use simple words to explain the tax plan. This is done to hide the truth about the so-called tax reform plan.
This is the reason there is one constitutional amendment to vote on Sept 9th and it is titled: “The Alabama Excellence Initiative Fund”=The Largest Tax Increase in History!
Vote No Sept. 9th