Most public officials enjoy the power and prestige of holding office. But they also have great responsibilities. And when there are hard financial decisions that have to be made, holding office isn’t so much “fun.”
Tennessee’s Gov. Phil Bredesen and members of the Tennessee General Assembly are experiencing one of those unpleasant times now.
Anticipating a big shortfall in state tax collections as compared with anticipated state expenses, Gov. Bredesen has mentioned two ways to address the problem.
Neither is attractive.
One option would be to impose a 5 percent salary cut on state employees. That would be highly objectionable. They are doing their jobs and have not caused the current budgetary problems.
The other is to raise $85 million by upping the state sales tax from 7 percent to 9.75 percent on the portion of single big-ticket sales over $3,200 — excluding motor vehicles, boats and manufactured homes. (In addition to the state sales tax, there are varied local sales tax rates of up to 2.75 percent.)
Nobody really likes budget cuts or tax increases, especially in a time of recession, when unemployment is close to 10 percent nationally and is 10.6 percent in Tennessee.
So legislators and the governor — and all Tennesseans — face objectionable decisions and the results.
Gov. Bredesen is a Democrat who is not a candidate for re-election. Several Democrat and Republican candidates are running for the office of governor. Republicans currently have majorities in both the Tennessee Senate and House of Representatives.
Neither big cuts in spending nor big increases in taxing will be comfortable. Unlike the federal government, Tennessee is prohibited from dodging by running up big debt. So our legislators have very tough decisions to make in a time of recession, and all Tennesseans face the consequences.