Nixon and Hulshof trade “tax and spend” barbs in ads
Things are starting to get confusing for voters who have to sift through the allegations being made in television ads in the governor’s race. Both Democrat Jay Nixon’s latest ad and Republican Kenny Hulshof’s latest ad accuse the other candidate of having supported what is called the largest tax increase in Missouri history.
And in that regard, both ads appear accurate. Nixon backed a tax increase for education pushed by then Gov. Mel Carnahan which was at the time called the largest tax increase in Missouri history; and Hulshof expressed his support for Proposition B, a 2002 gas tax proposal that would have been the largest tax hike in state history. That tax failed at the ballot box.
What’s interesting about both claims is that in neither case did Nixon or Hulshof support the two taxes legislatively, but they expressed their support to reporters asking their positions.
But another claim in the Hulshof ad is misleading. His latest ad claims that Nixon’s various proposal would “require another tax increase.” And to back this claim (in small print), Hulshof refers to a news conference held by state Sen. Gary Nodler and state Rep. Allen Icet in which they criticized Nixon’s health care proposals and said they would require either a tax increase or cutting from other departments.
First, there’s some wiggle room there that isn’t expressed in the ad. And second, Nodler and Icet are political allies of Hulshof who have been spending much of their time attacking Nixon over the past year. To rely on their “analysis” in an ad is a bit unfair.
It would be fine for Hulshof to say that he believes that Nixon’s proposals would require a tax increase. But to present it as fact is misleading.
Yes, but the stark difference between the two tax increases has to do with voter input! Proposition B was sent to the voters. SB 380 was not.
Dems had the chance to reinstitute the Medicaid cuts this year, not one dem voted for it on the floor of the House.
Seems to me that all they want to do is whine about the things that get done, rather than telling what they want to do, or more importantly HOW THEY WANT TO DO THEM!!!