|
Adams: Phase out income tax |
|
|
|
Wednesday, 16 April 2008 |
By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Managing Editor
COLUMBUS — A Shelby County legislator says he plans to drum up support for his measure that would phase out the state’s personal income tax within the next decade.
State Rep. John Adams, R-Sidney, introduced House Bill 534 Tuesday — a measure that calls for the phasing out of the person income tax within the next 10 years. Adams said the proposal is necessary in order to protect and promote Ohio’s economic future.
“Today (Tuesday) is Tax Day and this is no joke,” Adams told The Evening Leader. “The impetus was a very fine document printed by ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) which rates the states. We are ranked 47 out of 50 states in economic competitiveness and ranked 10th in tax burden regarding state and local taxes combined.”
As the tax burden continues to grow in Ohio, Adams said the exodus will continue. A recent Associated Press article stated several of the state’s major metropolitan areas rank among the top tier nationally in terms of annual population loss.
“We have a population loss and it will continue because people with the money and the entrepreneurs are leaving the state because other states have lower taxes,” Adams said. “It is about the pocketbook and it always has been.”
Growing Ohio’s economy and promoting job growth should be the focus among legislators in Columbus, Adams said. However despite the glaring need, the Sidney resident said few of his colleagues are eager to tackle the issue.
“It is a bold idea that makes a lot of sense,” Adams said of the measure. “I’m going to keep beating it into the heads of the people down here.”
Instead of eliminating the tax in one fell swoop, Adams said a gradual phase out of the tax appears to be more realistic.
Adams said he chose a 10-year period to implement the phase-out as a way to allow the state to prepare for the proposed change.
“If it is any longer than 10 years, the politics will erode it,” Adams said. “It is doable and there is no other way to look at it. There is a factor that you cannot measure — but when you cut taxes, you stimulate economic growth.”
Adams said his proposal netted 19 co-sponsors, all of whom are Republicans. However Adams said he plans to appeal to House Democrats to get the measure passed and moved onto the Senate.
“It is not bipartisan,” Adams said. “As usual, the first question is — ‘What are you going to replace it with?’” Adams said. “You don’t have to replace it with anything if it is phased out. That is part of the equation.”
|
|
Last Updated ( Monday, 21 April 2008 )
|
