Who to trust: Polls or Alabama preachers?

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Tue, Sep. 09, 2003

Who to trust: Polls or Alabama preachers?
By PHILLIP RAWLS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MONTGOMERY - Opponents of the biggest tax increase in Alabama history hold a dramatic lead in the polls, but they worry that weekend sermons urging approval of the $1.2 billion measure, aimed partly at helping poor families, may change as ballots are cast today.

Alabama voters will decide one proposed constitutional amendment: whether to approve or reject Gov. Bob Riley's $1.2 billion tax package and the new education programs it would help finance.

Recent polls show opponents leading by more than 20 percentage points, but Roger McConnell, co-chairman of the Tax Accountability Coalition fighting the plan, didn't feel comfortable Monday, particularly after many ministers promoted the tax initiative from the pulpit.

"I'm scared to death. They hit them so hard in the churches - Church of Christ, Methodist, my own church," the former state Republican Party chairman said. (snip/...)

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/state/6725508.htm

[Mari333]

1. They can all point their fingers now at the BFEE invasion of Iraq

and start voting Democratic, or get the same shit for the next 4 years.

[trof]

2. I'm voting "yes" this morning, but

I still have faith (unhappily) in the historic ignorance and apathy of the Alabama voters. I think we will lose. The selective truths put forth in the over-the-top oppositions television commercials have targeted the audience they know only too well.

Example:
"State property taxes will increase by forty per cent."
True, however the state portion of our real estate tax is very small. Most goes to counties and towns and that percentage will not increase. The majority of voters are ignorant of this fact.

"Income taxes will increase by $400,000,000" (or some such number, I forget).
True, overall income tax receipts will increase, but the lower and middle income groups will generally pay less and the floor for paying income tax will be raised from $4,600 to around $25,000.

If you ask the "average" state voter what is most important in government the answer is always schools. They are woefully underfunded.
Ask about a tax increase and you hear "We already pay too much in taxes. We need to cut out waste and corruption."
Alabama is among the bottom 2 or 3 states in overall taxation.
:shrug:

[LizW]

3. The advertising has been insane

and most everyone I've talked to has agreed that you can't believe any of it and it all should be ignored.

The outcome of this vote is going to be interesting. Turnout is going to be huge. It is the first election in Alabama where voter ID is required. 36,000 new voters have been registered in recent days.

There's even a BBV issue. Alabama votes mostly with optical scanners, and Riley was elected in a strange episode where thousands of votes disappeared from his Democratic opponent's tally in the wee hours of election night, after observers had gone home. If Riley's tax plan passes, when polls are predicting its sure defeat, one will have to wonder if it was the preachers or the vote counters that made the difference.

The issue of the "lid bill" mistake in the legislation has been effectively killed in the press, but it's still going to have a big effect. Riley can't count on the Republicans in Hoover and Homewood to vote with him when he's pushing an amendment that specifically and permanently hurts schools in those cities.

(full disclosure: I live in Hoover.)

[Dhalgren]

5. I am voting "Yes" on the amendment.

This state is so woefully underfunded it is ridiculous! But, I will admit that the vast ignorance in this state will make passage unlikely. The really sad part is that this amendment would actually protect the middle and lower income families and target big business and the very rich. But if this amendment fails to pass, then the legislature will have to pass tax increases and those increases will be on the poor and middle class. It's sad and maddening.

[phatkatt]

7. Voted "YES" this morning

... much to the consternation of my wife.:shrug:

I grew up in Hoover!:hi:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

8. Here are some additional problems in Alabama...

1) Most major corporations pay very little in the way of taxes within the state of Alabama. That's why Alabama has seen so many major corporations open major facilities in the state. If the corporations paid their fair share of taxes, we wouldn't be having this vote today.

2) Salaries/wages in Alabama are still considerably below the national average and remain flat. That money will only stretch so far with middle and low income families so additional taxes on those folks is not going to help their economic situation. But cheap labor is attractive to companies wanting to relocate and/or open major offices in Alabama.

3) The cost of fuel and utilities continue to rise. Combine that with salaries/wages that are basically flat and once again, the middle and low income people take another hit in the wallet.

4) Any tax increase in Alabama will simply offset what little cut in taxes that the middle and low income people will ever see. The end result is a net loss to people that can't aford ANY loss at this point in time.

If the state is really serious about wanting to correct the school funding situation, then they are going to have to address the issue of taxing the major corporations. With even a very minor increase in corporate taxes, most of the state's funding problems would be solved. Heck, the major corporations have already gotten major windfalls from the tax cuts provided by the Bushies...how much will a minor increase in taxes hurt them in Alabama?

[Ripley]

4. Unfortunately racism got into it here locally.

I recall seeing lots of letters in my paper about Al Sharpton. They would simply say "I see Al Sharpton was in Montgomery supporting Riley's tax plan. That's all I needed to see to know how to vote. NO."

I'm on my way to the polls right now...to vote YES.

I used to be pessimistic, but I'm feeling better this week, lots of good PR debunking the lying TV commercials was out there! It may actually pass!

[Liberator_Rev]

6. "Pulpits mostly silent on tax vote "

According to this paper,
http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/106304317226870.xml :
"Pulpits mostly silent on tax vote"
From staff and wire reports Huntsville Times 09/08/03

"On Sunday morning, there was a deafening silence from church pulpits as many pastors said nothing about the statewide referendum Tuesday...
Riley, a Southern Baptist, lately has appealed to the public to do what he says is the Christian thing and vote for his package, which would help the poor by raising the threshold for paying state income taxes."
My guess is that we're talking black Liberal Christian clergy vs. white Conservative Christian clergy.


at http://www.LiberalsLikeChrist.Org .

See what Christ might say about the "Christian Coalition" & "Religious Right" imposters.

[Stuckinthebush]

9. Voted Yes this morning

The turnout was very, very low in my polling place. Usually, the place is packed in the mornings. There were five people in there and a camera crew. I don't know if this low turnout helps the Yes or No side better.

As I was driving away, I saw a woman who had pulled her Mercedes up to the city park and was walking along the road in her high heels pulling up all of the VOTE YES signs. Ahhh...Democracy.