Pro-taxers in Searcy, Arkansas Achieve New Low

Update on vote: (4/13/2010 - 10:20 PM) - Unofficial vote tally in today's Searcy A&P Tax election is ... drum roll ... For - 1,331. AGAINST - 1,574. This total includes over 1100 early votes cast between April 6-12 ... substantially more than the proponents were expecting. Congratulations to the Searcy Friends of the Voters and everyone who stood with them against the imposition of this tax on the people of Searcy! I guess I can stop and shop in Searcy!

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Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: Early this morning, one day before a special election on the A&P Tax in Searcy, Arkansas, over a quarter of the anti-tax signs were missing around the city. Around 11:30 a.m., 27 anti-A&P Tax signs were unearthed at a local Searcy park. The signs were buried in a mud volleyball pit that is maintained by the city. Searcy Police Chief Kyle Osborne was alerted and came to the scene. [Full Story on the discovered stolen signs at The Arkansas Patriot]





        Nicholas Horton, who is against the A&P Tax, said in an email received by the ARRA News Service, "It is more critical now than ever that you make your opinion known on this issue. This is not just about taxes--this is about cronyism, strong-handed government, and corruption. While the perpetrators have not been officially identified, they were certainly not friends of our movement for lower taxes. They want to win, even if it means breaking the law; even if it means trampling on the state constitution; even if it means stealing private property. Send a clear message to City Hall and their cronies. Let them know how you feel about corruption and higher taxes during a severe recession. Let them hear you loud and clear tomorrow at the polls."

As I was traveling near Searcy, Arkansas a couple weeks ago, a radio advertisement caught my attention. In summary, the ad was a person who said they were a Republican who normally was against increased taxation but that he was for the A&P Tax because "other cities do it" and "we" should get taxes more taxes from others who visit us. I immediately thought, what a sad state of affairs. The US Constitution clearly delineates the intent that there would be no tax or duty on people or goods of a person for buying goods in another state or "exported from another state." Our forefathers never envisioned that people would stoop so low as to tax those who visit from one city to another and then to call such a tax not an Advertising & Promotion tax because you visited us. And to hear someone calling themselves a Republican in promoting this type tax was most discouraging. Voting will be held tomorrow in Searcy, Arkansas at the from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Carmichael Community Center.

While I can not cast a ballot in Searcy, I can vote with my wallet. If the A&P tax passes, I will vote by skipping Searcy when it comes to buying anything! And, I will exercise my free speech to tell others to do the same. Taxation without representation (taxing visitors) is a bad practice in all situations.

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Tags: A&P Tax, Searcy, Arkansas, special election, increased taxes, taxing visitors
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