January 25, 2012

Partnership for Kentucky’s Future:

Statement on the Blue Ribbon Tax Reform Commission

The Partnership for Kentucky’s Future is a coalition of Kentucky’s labor, education, and health sectors, faith communities, and families and individuals, working together to support comprehensive tax reform that is balanced, adequate, and sustainable.

We are encouraged by the potential the governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission has to build consensus and recommend tax reforms that will rise to the five goals the governor has laid out – fairness, competitiveness, simplicity and compliance, elasticity and adequacy.

At the same time, we recognize that the Governor faces an enormous challenge in steering our commonwealth through the process of reforming our tax structure in line with these goals. To help the Commission face that challenge, we make the following recommendations:

•    We urge that the Blue Ribbon Commission include persons known for their expertise concerning each of the five goal categories, and offer a variety of opportunities for public input on how to achieve success in each of the categories.

•    We are encouraged that the first goal is to have a tax structure that is fair.  We urge that the Commission’s proposals come with a distributional analysis of how each proposal will affect Kentuckians across income levels.  

•    We urge that the Commission refine the statement of the goal of competitiveness, since business taxes are only one component of Kentucky’s business competitiveness. Our tax structure should be in the service of making Kentucky competitive -- with fair taxes, a strong education system, a healthy, skilled, and creative workforce, and a good quality of life.

•    Finally, we applaud the goal of having an adequate tax structure that will sustain a good quality of life in Kentucky through essential investments in good schools, health care, public safety, and other necessary functions of our state government.  As a coalition of organizations who represent teachers, families, and workers, and faith communities, we look forward to joining the conversation.

We hope and expect this commission will facilitate the progress that we need to move Kentucky forward—for a better today, and a better Kentucky tomorrow.

CONTACT:
The Rev. Dr. Marian M. Taylor, Executive Director
The Kentucky Council of Churches, 1500 Leestown Rd #316, Lexington, KY 40511
mmt@kycouncilofchurches
Mobile: 502-435-8775.   Office: 859-269-7715

The member organizations of the Partnership for Kentucky’s Future are:
AARP
Advocacy Action Network
AFL-CIO
AFSCME Council 62
Appalshop
Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky
Bridgehaven Mental Health Services
Catholic Conference of Kentucky
Central Kentucky Council for Peace and Justice
Covering Kentucky Kids and Families
Jefferson County Teachers Association
Kentucky Jobs with Justice
Kentuckians For The Commonwealth
Kentucky Center for Economic Policy
Kentucky Council of Churches
Kentucky Domestic Violence Association
Kentucky Education Association
Kentucky Equal Justice Center
Kentucky Psychological Association
Kentucky Society of Friends
Seven Counties Services
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth