Rep Wayne's Op-Ed Supporting HB 262

State can't wait any longer for tax reforms

By Jim Wayne

Op-Ed in the Lexington Herald-Leader

The Consensus Forecasting Group anticipates that Kentucky is facing a staggering $900 million shortfall in the next biennium. The ramifications for our citizens living with this financial hole in our budget are too unpleasant to imagine.

But imagine we must. This problem will not drift into the shadows. Our citizens are concerned and raising their voices to make sure we, the leaders with the power, act to protect our children, our sick, our college students, our elderly, our transportation systems, our prisons, our law enforcement officers, our environment and our citizens with mental retardation, addictions and mental illnesses, as well as other areas of our lives touched by the state budget.

Our hour has come. For years, as predicted by James Fox in his 2001 study of our inadequate, outdated and unjust tax system, we knew, or should have known, that today we would be facing a nearly $1 billion crisis. He told us then, and Gov. Paul Patton, in his last year in office, presented us with a sound solution. But we ignored Fox, and we ignored Patton.

We can no longer ignore the reality. No short-term solution will solve our problem. Today we present a proposal many of you have seen before. You may choose to ignore it, as Fox's and Patton's were ignored. I pray legislators will instead study it, improve it if they can and, with the boldness and leadership needed, support it.

Read the complete Op-Ed in the Lexington Herald-Leader Here.