(Baton Rouge, LA) Roger Villere today called for the repeal of the Personal Income Tax in Louisiana and announced that organizing citizens for the effort would be his top priority as Lieutenant Governor.
“The time has come to abolish the Personal Income Tax in Louisiana,” Villere said. “We should be asking ourselves why we have a personal income tax in Louisiana when Florida and Texas are doing fine without one,” he said.
Villere made the announcement at a Tea Party of Lafayette news conference on the steps of the State Capitol where he received the group’s official endorsement.
“The endorsement of Mr. Villere is based on our knowledge that he has consistently promoted conservative principles. He is a small business owner and knows what it means to meet payrolls and pay taxes. He understands the burdens of too many government regulations,” Tea Party of Lafayette Coordinator Joyce Linde said.
“Roger Villere shares our belief that we need smaller government and lower taxes, and has met with us to discuss abolishing Louisiana’s Personal Income Tax,” Linde said. Villere said the state government should be able to operate on $21 billion per year as it did in 2006.
“Louisiana government operated on $21 billion a year in 2006. But those who don’t agree with me that we should cut spending should still be able to support phasing out the Personal Income Tax over the next few years,” he said. “Historical budget data shows that we are heading towards a $40 billion budget in about five to seven years. Those who won’t accept cuts in spending should at least agree that we should reduce the growth rate of the budget by three or four billion dollars during that period. If they can’t get by with $36 billion instead of $40 billion a few years from now, I don’t know what to tell them,” he said.
Villere said a tax cut will spur economic growth in Louisiana and increase sales and other tax receipts, as well as attract businesses and individuals to the state to grow the economy. “A bigger economy and more businesses will produce more revenue for Louisiana. This tax cut will be an absolute winner for everyone and give us much needed relief from ever increasing federal taxes under Obama,” he said.
Below is the text of Mr. Villere’s address to the Tea Party this morning:
“First, I want to say THANKS to Joyce and the Tea Party of Lafayette for inviting me here today and allowing me to speak. Second, I want to say “thank you” for honoring me with your endorsement. This is a very important endorsement.
Across America, the support of tea party organizations has become the most powerful endorsement any candidate can earn. I’ve heard that in a recent poll, more than 60% of Louisiana Republicans consider themselves to be part of the Tea Party movement.
I want you to know that in 25 years of involvement, I have never supported a tax increase. Not one time. And I’ve never supported a bigger government budget. Not one time. And I’ve never supported using tax dollars for abortion. Not one time.
Yet, 10 years ago today, my chief opponent in this election was a member of the State Senate, fighting to raise our income taxes through “The Stelly Plan.” And what was I doing? I was organizing 4 tea parties across the state to protest. I am not a newcomer to the cause of opposing higher taxes.
The Stelly Plan was a fraud. It was an unnecessary burden on the people of Louisiana. History is crystal clear and it has proven me right. When Stelly was proposed in 2000, our state budget was $13 billion. By 2008, it had reached $30 billion.
But now, some want to bring Stelly back. It is time for Mr. Stelly and Mr. Dardenne, the bill’s two sponsors, to admit that the Stelly Plan was a mistake. It is time to forever rule out bringing Stelly back.
The real causes of our state’s financial crisis are:
(1) the unsustainable growth of state spending that occurred from 1996-2007 from $10 billion to $30 billion, and (2) Obama’s disastrous economic and energy policies.
Instead of another regressive proposal to raise state income taxes, we should be asking ourselves why we even have a personal income tax in Louisiana when Florida and Texas are doing fine without one. The time has come to abolish the Personal Income Tax in Louisiana.
This unnecessary burden can be phased out over the next few years. Louisiana can reduce the size and scope of government and we can set a new national trend. As Lt. Governor, it will be my top priority to lead a movement to repeal the state income tax.
Some say that the office of Lt. Governor is meaningless. Well, I will change that. I will use the office as a bully pulpit to bring fundamental change to Louisiana government. I will organize citizens in every parish to repeal the state income tax…and we will win this fight.”