Opponents of Crescent City Connection toll renewal used Gov. Bobby Jindal's visit to West Jefferson to urge support for their cause.
Gov. Bobby Jindal carried his proposal to rewrite Louisiana's tax code to West Jefferson on Thursday, telling a crowd gathered for the 26th annual Governor's West Bank Luncheon that eliminating personal income and corporate taxes will benefit everyday people while ridding the state of laws that are "riddled with loopholes and exemptions."
"Our current tax code is complex," Jindal said at the Alario Center near Westwego. "It's unstable. It's unfair."
The proposal, which Jindal's administration announced in January and will push during the legislative session starting next month, calls for raising the state sales tax from 4 percent to 5.88 percent, he said Thursday.
The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry went on record Wednesday saying it is ready to oppose the plan if it increases the tax burden that businesses carry. And last week a group of clergy members said it opposed the plan.
The annual West Bank Governor's Luncheon, sponsored by the Harvey Canal Industrial Association, Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, Plaquemines Association of Business and Industry and Algiers Economic Development Foundation, also serves as a benefit for Cafe Hope, a job training and life skills program in Marrero for underprivileged youth.
Touting statistics he has relied on to stump for his plan, Jindal said opponents include groups with lobbyists who have embarked on a misinformation campaign, saying taxes would be raised for low- and middle-class Louisiana residents. He said the current tax code includes about 480 loopholes and exemptions that benefit those who oppose the plan.
"Our opponents believe the status quo is working," Jindal said.
Jindal said a rewritten tax code would, among other things, create a fairer tax system, close loopholes, protect taxes on food, prescription drugs and utilities and provide more stability for government services.
Countering opponents who say his plan would raise taxes on the low-income and middle classes, Jindal said a teacher earning $45,000 per year would see a reduction in tax burden of $680. He said Nevada, South Dakota and Wyoming don't have income taxes, and those states have budget surpluses.
"It's not a coincidence that states without any income taxes have grown faster," Jindal told reporters after the luncheon.
Before the luncheon, opponents of tolls on the Crescent City Connection held a press conference at which Mike Teachworth of stopthetolls.org, called on Jindal, the "anti-tax governor," to go on record opposing the "new tax on the citizens of our area."
Asked about the toll issue, Jindal said only that he would be meeting with toll opponents later Thursday. He said his budget proposal assumes no toll revenue from the bridge, and that the state will take over maintenance.
Teachworth said that in the 23 days since toll collection was halted, taxpayers had "saved" $1,386,000, presumably representing the amount of tolls that haven't been paid.
Two area parish presidents also spoke out in opposition to the tolls.
"I continue to oppose the tolls on the basis that it's an unfair and unnecessary tax," Jefferson Parish President John Young said. He added that the state's three toll bridges: Louisiana 1, the Crescent City Connection and the Causeway, all touch Jefferson Parish.
Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser added, "It's time for that unfair tax to go away."