"The problem with Georgia's budget is a weakened economy, compounded with the tax-and-spend policies of the current House leaders," Strickland said. "Proposing penalties such as revoking driver's licenses for delinquent tax payers is not a reasonable solution."
Mills suggested Wednesday that perhaps people who are behind in payment of their state taxes and who do not make an effort to pay them should be told that if they do not they could lose their driver's and/or business license. (See separate story.)
Strickland disagrees.
"Any tax system is going to have a percentage of delinquent taxpayers, and relying on 100 percent immediate and complete compliance to balance the budget is unrealistic. The only way to balance our budget is to convince the incumbent legislators in the State House to cut expenses."
Strickland said he favors "Priority Based Spending," where state programs are evaluated for importance and effectiveness, with low priority programs being cut or eliminated in favor of more effective programs. "This is how a normal household balances their finances. You don't cut all expenses across the board in a household when things get tight; instead, you eliminate the wasteful spending."
"No one cuts their mortgage payment or their water bill by 5 percent during tough times," Strickland continued. "The House should do what our households do- cut out the frivolous expenses entirely, and fully fund the important necessities of Georgia taxpayers."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/8/212004