Speaking of just a few of the things Gov. Jindal has done or proposes to do that spells bad news for the people of Louisiana. His plan to replace state income tax with a larger and broader sales tax is nonsensical. According to the Public Affairs Research Council, Jindal’s tax plan would cost the state somewhere between $500 and $650 million. And when the state is in a pinch, we all know who gets pinched the hardest—poor people, old people, sick people and public school students. That’s one of the reasons we oppose such a move.
Here’s the other, a higher sales tax would inevitable have an adverse impact on individuals who can least afford its impact. For poor people barely making ends meet paying higher sales tax on the basic goods and services they use regularly could indeed be an undue burden. In fact, Jindal’s plan would also force independent artists, writers and performers to charge sales tax for their services.
All in all, it is just a bad idea. Since we are certain that Gov. Jindal intends to move forward with his proposal, we look to legislators across the state to do their jobs and stop this train wreck of a plan before it starts.
