What's with Bill Richardson?

[baby_bear]

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050228-102607-5050r.htm

Governor urges Democrats to be pro-growth, cut taxes


By Donald Lambro
THE WASHINGTON TIMES


Democratic leaders must make pro-business, pro-growth tax cuts part of their party's political message, the chairman of the Democratic Governors' Association said yesterday. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the only Democratic governor to make business and personal income-tax rate cuts a major part of his agenda in a time of tight budgets, said his party should work to foster a friendlier, pro-tax-cut image that puts more money into the pockets of ordinary taxpayers.

Mr. Richardson, who has led a postelection movement to make the Democratic governors a more influential policy-making force in the party, has reduced his state's income tax from 8.2 percent to 4.9 percent and cut the capital gains tax in half. "The message is that Democrats, too, can be associated with economic-growth issues and with sensible tax cuts and that we can be pro-business and fiscally responsible," he said.

Mr. Richardson, who opposed making Howard Dean the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said the former Vermont governor still "has an image issue he has to deal with."
</snip>

*sigh*

b_b

[snowbear]

1. Well...

I didn't realize he was planning to run in 2008, but that's what the media is blabbing on about..

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/wp-print.php?p=3506
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/10236.html

Must have something to do with that? :shrug:

[xxqqqzme]

2. he's a DLCer

whadda U expect?

[baby_bear]

3. Silly me.

DLC is ever coming to look like "Republican in (a little bit of) disguise."

Maybe I shouldn't be so critical. We have no state income tax at all in Washington. Our tax system is incredibly regressive. We have a Democrat governor and legislature but no one has the nerve to even bring up the prospect of a state income tax. Instead everything is done on the backs of the workers and property owners via sales taxes and property taxes and (soon to come) various use and excise taxes.

b_b

[WiltedFlowerChild]

4. New Mexican here

The state of NM has been running a surplus for several years. Richardson has reduced our taxes instead of holding on to those surplus funds.

He recently got rid of food tax, but raised the tax on other items to compensate.

It will be interesting to see what he does with the recent anti-death penalty bill which has passed the house and is going to the senate. He has always said that he is pro death penalty but he might sign it due to the large Catholic population here.

[DaveinMD]

5. we can win the tax debate

by cutting payroll taxes and raising income taxes on the super wealthy. That is the type of populism that could win. Richardson is talking about something else.

[autorank]

6. Sen. Byrd on Bill Richardson

This was at a senate hearing. See link below.

SEN. ROBERT BYRD: I have to say, I am not calling for your resignation at this moment, but you have shown a supreme, a supreme contempt of the committees of this Congress. When you decided that you would go-- if the newspaper stories are correct-- when you decided that you would go before the Intelligence Committee when you were ready... you weren't ready yet…that was a supreme act of callous arrogance, and I resent it. I think it's a rather sad story that you had a bright and brilliant career that you had never, that you would never again receive the support of the Senate of the United States for any office to which you might be appointed. It's beyond... you have squandered your treasure, and I am sorry.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/fedagencies/jan-june00/richardson1_6-21.html

Remember:
Richardson came up with the $1.5 million cost for a NM recount. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER RICHARDSON. NEVER