Huckabee says hes anti tax but his record as Govenor is the opposite

According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the average Arkansas tax burden increased 47% over Huckabee’s tenure. Huckabee supported (in chronological order) a sales tax hike; gas and diesel fuel tax hikes; another sales tax hike; a cigarette tax hike; a nursing home bed tax; another sales tax hike; an income surcharge tax; a tobacco tax hike; taxes on Internet access; and higher beer taxes. Huckabee also oversaw a 50-percent increase in spending; happily signed a minimum wage increase and encouraged national Republicans to do the same; favors a national smoking ban, farm subsidies, and a federally mandated arts and music curriculum; opposes private school choice; and employs class-warfare and protectionist language on the campaign trail. Huckabee calls himself an economic conservative in the mold of Ronald Reagan, but the above list doesn’t sound like either.

The CATO group rates Huckabee as an F in his final term regarding raising taxes.
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa581.pdf

Factcheck.org also rates Huckabee poorly on the tax issue
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/huckabees_fiscal_record.html

You know, this is interesting, having lived in Arkansas during Huckabee's entire tenure. What I saw during that time was:

(a) our roads actually got better (yes we have roads in Arkansas)
(b) our schools began getting funding that they really needed (yes we have schools in Arkansas, they suck, but we have schools and they were getting better since they were getting funding for infastruture and teacher pay)
(c) and low income families (which were were one of for three years) were able to get "AR Kids" health care for our children under the age of 18 and ensure that our kids were healthy and that we could afford major and minor medical treatment

I'm not saying Huckabee is the end all be all, I'm just addressing the tax issue. In every case, from first hand experience, the taxes that were raised went back to the people in much needed social programs, infastructure, and education. In my book, it was money well spent. We were so underfunded as a state, that we needed to raise taxes to afford the items the state needed. He also dramatically increased the child tax credit to help working families get a break from those taxes.

Part of the Republican knock on Hackabee is that he isn't a "real conservative". You know, that's part of why I liked him and supported him as gov. He was a "Real Conservative" when it came to beliefs and social issues and really did stand his ground on things he believed strongly in, yet he wasn't afraid to raise taxes and begin meaningful social programs to affect real change in the state. To me, it was the best of both worlds... someone with a heart and a soul, but who taxed and spent responsibly.

I'm not endorsing Mike for President... he's still a politician as crafty as they come and I'm a jaded political cynic, but as a Gov, his taxes served a good purpose and helped a lot of people, including our family. I appreciated it and will say he was a good leader of the state, both morally and professionally in his job role.

Look deeper into this supposed tax issue, the tax payers voted in these tax hikes and on the overall, he lowered more taxes than he raised. The papers are real good at reporting the bad only

Some more things to consider

VIDEOS

Club For Growth – Mike Huckabee is a “Tax and Spender” Huckabee will take the GOP to the LEFT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oDANmJqL2A

Huckabee ask state legislature to pass any form of new taxes to finance his uncontrolled spending for assistance to illegal aliens and to set up agencies to regulate business.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaJW7...eature=related

Huckabee would approve a law to make smoking illegal (What about liberty?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl81Pq4aOOo


Huckabee delivers compelling speech to provide Scholarships for Illegal Aliens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BxJBUswOcQ



Huckabee Presents Compelling Reason for Government Intervention in Business
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRnAUFMSUZc



Huckabee delivers compelling reason why illegal aliens should be able to buy citizenship
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwOuDxRfL3U



Articles
Pastor Chuck Baldwin cautions those on religious right regarding Huckabee
http://www.redpills.org/?p=473

Wall Street Journal – “Mike Huckabee is not the conservative he claims to be.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNfOiseKnoA

Huckabee endorsed socialized medicine SCHIP program
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8sBLOK1jgQ

“He destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas, and left the Republican Party a shambles,” Wall Street Journal http://opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110010782

Arkansas' Ethics Commission has admonished Huckabee for violations five times in 14 years, once for taking money from an organization whose donors have never been listed.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15853756/

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