Dan Blue in 1991: Massive Sales Tax Hikes Are “Fair and Balanced”

I found this tidbit from the wayback machine while perusing Civitas’ Public Policy Series guide to the state budget.

Back in 1991, North Carolina’s state budget included a one-cent increase in the sales tax, a three cent increase in the cigarette tax – along with modest increases in the corporate and personal income taxes.

At the time, the tax hikes were estimated to cost North Carolina taxpayers $637 million – more than $1.2 billion in today’s dollars.

Progressive liberals like state Sen. Dan Blue like to tell us that sales taxes hurt the poor disproportionately – for instance in this 2010 interview he calls for the sales tax to be lowered to promote a more “equitable” tax system.

So surely then-House Speaker Blue opposed the 1991 tax hikes largely focused on sales tax increases – right?

Wrong. Indeed, Blue called that year’s state budget “fair and balanced” and “tremendous.” By the way, this “tremendous” budget also eliminated 290 teacher aids and clerical workers along with 180 assistant principal positions.

This should come as no surprise, however, as Blue is no stranger to hypocritical stances on state tax policy.