Why has District 17 Senate candidate Mike Fanning campaigned so strongly against our state’s sales tax exemptions? If he would look into the actual dollars exempted he would discover that the exemptions manifest annual consumer savings of a whopping $585 million for prescription drugs purchased at pharmacies, and $354 million in grocery purchases. Plus, these “evil” exemptions saved consumers another $188 million in spending on electricity and other fuel used for home heating. Further, the $253 million sales tax exemptions of sales to the Federal government are not taxable under the U.S. Constitution and the $500 million in highway fuel exemption is taxed in another way. Many other exemptions such as school related tax holidays are also aimed at protecting our citizens. What’s left to complain about is an innocuous few exemptions (like the auto cap). So why the continued R.O.A.R. over these sales tax exemptions?
Logically, these sales tax exemptions are a direct and productive way to help our citizens afford the basics to survive. Mr. Fanning and some extreme political groups think otherwise. Some even backed a lawsuit, which demanded the removal of all sales tax exemptions. Naturally, the lawsuit was rejected in the courts. So why the continued R.O.A.R. against sales tax exemptions?
One elected official described the quest for the elimination of sales tax exemptions as “. . . a backdoor way to raising taxes. . . .” which may be the explanation to our previously stated questions. Maybe these enemies of state tax exemption lifelines just cannot think through their half baked proposals. At least citizens can certainly think clearly to see only Sen. Creighton Coleman offers the type of level-headed leadership we need in District 17. Vote for Coleman next Tuesday.
Sonya “Cookie” Kennedy
Winnsboro
