More than 250 Louisiana clergy sign letter saying Jindal's tax plan would be unfair to the poor
More than 250 Louisiana clergy members said they oppose Gov. Bobby Jindal's tax swap proposal because it is unfair to the poor and threatens state services, according to a letter delivered to the governor's office Monday.
Jindal proposes to get rid of Louisiana's personal income tax and corporate income and franchise taxes. To offset the loss, the governor wants to increase the state sales tax by 47 percent, from 4 percent to 5.88 percent, and to charge sales taxes on more services.
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Signers included the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, the bishop of the Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
The letter says even before Jindal's proposed changes, Louisiana already has a regressive tax structure in which families earning less than $16,000 per year pay 10.6 percent of their income in state and local taxes, while families earning over $1 million per year pay 4.6 percent.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/250-clergy-call-Jindal-tax-plan-unfair-to-poor-4363714.php