Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) is traveling Georgia's civic and country club circuits in an attempt to rally public support for his sweeping tax reform plan.
He visited the Country Club of the South in Alpharetta Tuesday. There he told the audience that he wanted to replace the taxes they pay on their homes and other property with a four-percent sales tax on goods and services.
Richardson said it is supply-side economics: If people have more money in their pockets, they will spend it, and the taxes will fund public services.
This is a conservative area, but Richardson still raised eyebrows.
"My concern is the math doesn't add up," said Fulton County Commissioner Lynn Riley, who represents this area.
Property taxes now bring in $8.2 billion. That's more than the state would reap from sales taxes, Riley says.
Richardson has several hurdles to leap. He must convince a majority of lawmakers to support his plan, and then voters would have to approve it.
He visited the Country Club of the South in Alpharetta Tuesday. There he told the audience that he wanted to replace the taxes they pay on their homes and other property with a four-percent sales tax on goods and services.
Richardson said it is supply-side economics: If people have more money in their pockets, they will spend it, and the taxes will fund public services.
This is a conservative area, but Richardson still raised eyebrows.
"My concern is the math doesn't add up," said Fulton County Commissioner Lynn Riley, who represents this area.
Property taxes now bring in $8.2 billion. That's more than the state would reap from sales taxes, Riley says.
Richardson has several hurdles to leap. He must convince a majority of lawmakers to support his plan, and then voters would have to approve it.
