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Goose vs Gander

If you're a Democratic Governor and you introduce taxes... Grover Norquist requests your head on a pike.

It was just a matter of time – Democrat Gov. Kathleen Blanco has finally proposed what has been rumored for weeks – a $120 million tax increase to pay off her neglected backers in the teachers unions. Gov. Blanco proposes to raise cigarette taxes by 50 cents per pack, raise other tobacco taxes, raise beer taxes by 25%, double wine taxes, and raise more than 30% in spirits taxes, plus increase gambling taxes. She would use this money to give $1000 raises to teachers, $250-500 raises to school support staff, and an unspecified raise to college professors. But teachers say these raises are not enough – the union bosses say any raise less than $2000 is “not serious.” Keep in mind, Louisiana’s budget is $18 billion. Gov. Blanco’s $120 million is only 0.667% of the budget – if she can’t find less than one percent of savings in the budget to pay for her pay raises, then she is not qualified to be governor. We will be contacting state legislators and local media to oppose these new taxes. If you live in Louisiana, contact your Senator and Representative and tell them to oppose new taxes!

However, if you have a Republican Governor and Legislature, the same approach to state financing is just peachy.

SUBCHAPTER B. IMPOSITION AND COLLECTION OF TAX
Sec. 164.051. TAX IMPOSED. (a) A tax is imposed on each
sale at retail of soft drinks or snack food.
(b) The tax rate is three percent of the sales price of the
soft drinks or snack food.
(c) The tax imposed under this chapter is in addition to any
other tax imposed by state law.
Sec. 164.052. EXCEPTIONS TO APPLICATION OF TAX. The tax
imposed under this chapter does not apply to a food or a beverage
sold in or by a restaurant, lunch counter, cafeteria, hotel,
organization listed as a 501(c)(3) under the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, or other business for consumption on the premises of the
business.
Sec. 164.053. RULES. The comptroller by rule shall
prescribe the manner in which the tax imposed under this chapter is
administered, imposed, and collected.