Remarks By Governor David M. Beasley

Car Tax News Conference

April 14, 1998

Note: The Governor sometimes deviates from text.

Thanks for being with us today. We've got an important message to send loud and clear to the senators working today over at the Carolina Plaza.

And it's right in line with the growing families, shrinking government philosophy we've promoted throughout this administration.

Back in 1995, you remember that we came into office with a list of promises we said we'd do for the people of South Carolina.

We said we'd give them a sweeping crime bill. And we did it.

We said we'd give them welfare reform. And we did it.

We said we'd give them tax relief. And we did it. In fact, we've eliminated property taxes for homeowners to the tune of nearly a billion dollars.

That was V-Day for the taxpayers of this great state.

But we're here today to remind our senators that the war's not over yet.

We've got another target in our sights, and that's the burdensome tax that families have to pay on cars and trucks.

As you know, I called for that tax to be eliminated in my State of the State Address. I told you then that we couldn't rest until the tax on cars and trucks is declared dead and buried.

Because just like the homeowners' property tax, this is a tax that South Carolinians hate. It's the third highest in the nation. And families across this state are often paying as much in car taxes as they'd pay for a mortgage payment or an entire month of groceries.

But there's absolutely no excuse for it.

We're living in a record-breaking economy...with booming growth that keeps building on itself year after year after year.

Meanwhile, we've got a government that wants to hoard the taxpayers' money to spend on itself...when we should be looking for ways to give some of it back.

We need to remember whose money we're spending. It's not ours. It's the taxpayers'.

And I don't know about you, but I care a whole lot more about helping the family budget than I care about padding government's pockets.

Plain and simple, we can afford to cover this tax with our own growth. We can do it without raising any other tax around the back door. And the House has already passed a good plan that will work.

Certainly the Senate may have differences with the details of the House plan. That's fine.

But I'm asking that whatever you do, senators, don't just duck and run on this issue. Turn, and answer the will of the people.

They've made it clear that they hate this tax, that they want an end to it.

We can do it; we should do it. The time is right.

So our message to the Senate is this: join us. Take aim at the target the taxpayers have put before you. And together let's fight to give the citizens of this state one more giant victory over the burden of heavy taxation.

And if the Senate joins us, we'll be able to do this to every South Carolina car and truck tax bill...

(WRITE ZERO ON POSTER IN RED PEN)

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