HIGHER TAXES for FAMILIES:
Jim Hodges does a 180 degree turn on
Food Tax Cuts AND Raises College Tuition
(Turn up your speakers to hear the Hodges Theme)
"We must fulfill the promise of food tax relief ... I
propose we make this food tax relief permanent ..."
-2001 State of the State Address
http://www.state.sc.us/governor/documents/state_of_state.pdf
Following vetoes that eliminated higher education cuts and
raised the food tax, Gov. Hodges asked state universities to return money
allocated them from an environmental cleanup fund ... some $28 million ...
- July 15, 2001
Charleston Post and Courier
The Democratic governor last month vetoed the Legislature's plan to keep the food tax at four cents on the dollar.
Tax experts say the food tax — considered by some to be regressive because it most affects those who can least afford it — hurts seniors citizens and low-income families more than any other group.
Eliminating the grocery sales tax has been a
"legislative priority" for five years for the AARP's South Carolina
branch, which has about 448,000 members age 50 and over, said Jane Wiley, a
state AARP advocacy representative.
"When you watch every penny, it is a big deal. We have a lot of people
living very near the poverty line, seniors and others," she said, adding
that the group was "disappointed in the governor's veto."
-Tuesday, July 17, 2001
Greenville News
Page colored YELLOW as a tribute to Hodges