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Severance tax issues Sunday, Mar 16, 2008 By David Sanders Dear Governor Beebe, I hope this finds you well. While letter writing has become a lost art for most of the public, I remember from my time working in the governor's office that written correspondence hadn't gone out of style. In fact, I used to get a kick out of reading some of the letters addressed to the governor. There was one guy who was having a tough time getting his trash picked up from his rural residence, so he wrote Gov. Huckabee hoping that the state's chief executive could get the trash trucks to run on time. And then there was the handful of people who wrote constantly, pleading with the governor to get the United Nations to stop flying its black helicopters over northern Arkansas. Those were the days. Let me skip pleasantries and jump to the matter at hand. I attended the press conference where you announced your "deal" with the natural gas industry to raise the state's severance tax to 5 percent - you know how to turn out a crowd. We are on opposite sides of this issue. I'll not try to convince you to change your mind. This letter is to share a couple observations I made during your prepared statement and subsequent responses to questions asked of you by my colleagues. For as long as I have followed you, your friends and foes often have said that you are, shall we say, very confident - at times arrogant - to the extent that you leave a less-than-favorable impression with those colleagues and acquaintances with whom you work. Let me say with the risk of sounding brash, you did nothing to dispel those criticisms on Tuesday. Let me explain. You got awfully close to bragging that you'd never backed a way from 5 percent being your target rate and that the natural gas industry representatives kept coming back to you. Was that necessary? Many in the industry feel that your negotiating tactics border on violating the Geneva Conventions, essentially waterboarding the industry. You told them they could either face Sheffield Nelson's ballot initiative with a 7 percent rate, risking a public campaign in which they would be dragged through the mud, characterized as greedy out-of-state companies raping and pillaging countryside, stealing the state's natural resources, or come to you for on a more palatable increase. You've told them that by getting it done legislatively, the industry would retain its untainted image. All of that leaves the wrong impression. You and I both know that if you thought for a minute that you could write up your own ballot initiative and the people would pass it, you'd do it. But, the fact is that both you and Nelson run the risk of being tainted in a public campaign; you obviously have more to lose in terms of political capital. FYI: There is a newly formed group calling itself the Arkansas Coalition of Concerned Taxpayers (ACCT) that is watching the debate on the severance tax closely. The group's president, Little Rock lawyer Tim Griffin - you might remember him from his time in the U.S. Attorney's office - says the group is an advocate for Arkansas taxpayers and job creation. As you know, Griffin is an accomplished political operative. I don't think you or Sheffield would relish the opportunity to face him and others who would campaign against both of you should either of you choose to take this issue to the people. One other thing. You essentially told my colleague John Brummett that the Legislature would have to accept your proposal as is. I know you used to rubber stamp things handed to you by industry when you were a state senator, but do you really think that shutting a co-equal branch of government out of your negotiations and then telling them that it's either your way or the highway is productive, or even good government? I think not. If you want to leave the impression that you are arrogant, I'd say you're a smashing success. Keep it up. Sincerely, David J. Sanders ------- David Sanders writes twice weekly for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock and is a host of the Arkansas Education Television Network's "Unconventional Wisdom." His e-mail address is DavidJSanders@aol.com. |
