Flip-flop alert: Blackwell NOW supports CAT taxes

FLIP FLOP ALERT!

WILL HE TEL THE TRUTH!

BLACKWELL'S REALITY

  FLIP-FLOPS ON TAXES ONCE AGAIN

FIRST THE TEL, NOW THE CAT TAX 

COLUMBUS --  For the second time in a week, Politician Ken Blackwell has flip-flopped on a major campaign policy position.

"Mr. Blackwell has flip-flopped more policy position than a cat has lives," said Brian Rothenberg, Communications Director of the Ohio Democratic Party. "It is an issue of trust. Flip-flopping off the TEL and now the CAT tax -- regardless where you stand on the issue -- makes you wonder just what kind of leadership he offers. Can you believe what he says today when he flip-flops tomorrow."

Blackwell told the Plain Dealer that he now supports the CAT tax after stating in January "that CAT must go."

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That was then, this is now


Last January, when seeking his party's nomination for governor, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell advocated elimination of Ohio's new commercial activity tax.

"What would make someone create a new tax on commercial activity when we need more commercial activity?" he asked during a rally at Lima's Veterans Memorial Civic Center. "That CAT must go."

But on Tuesday, just weeks after securing his party's nomination, Blackwell showed no signs of wanting to kill the CAT.

"My general opinion is ... I would go back 36 years and not have an income tax, but that's not going to fly anywhere either," he said. "The reality is, there have been - and we're not going to get into the particulars now - remember that I have a pretty aggressive program for the personal income tax and the death tax and if in fact you continue to - as the state has started - to bring down the income tax, we've actually cut our capital gains taxes because we've lowered the top marginal rate of the income tax."

But what about the CAT?

Describing the question as an effort to "tweak" him, Blackwell said fellow Republicans who run the General Assembly told him months ago that the CAT must stay. The new tax is allowing Ohio to phase out two unpopular business taxes that are often cited as harmful to economic development.

"I basically have said here is an area where I've faced reality," he said.

Blackwell said he continues to support efforts to make permanent a ban on applying the CAT to gasoline and anything related to energy.

--Sandy Theis, the Plain Dealer