February 20, 2008
OBAMA’S VARSITY BLUES
In Texas, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Makes Repeated Rookie Mistakes, Exposing His Inexperience
OBAMA SUGGESTS HIGHER INCOME TAXES IN A STATE THAT HAS NO INCOME TAX Don’t Mess With Taxes: Obama Recommends Income Tax As Way To Fund Schools, Even Though Texas Doesn’t Have An Income Tax: Obama Tells Texas Newspaper That Raising The Income Tax Is “More Equitable” Than Property Taxes To Fund Schools. Obama: “[U]ltimately if we are going to do something serious about education, the states are going to have to do something about how they fund schools; they’re going to have to change the school funding formula. … Some states want to increase their state income tax, which seems a little more equitable than the property tax, and that’s an option but it isn’t something the federal government can control.” (“Q&A With Sen. Barack Obama,” San Antonio Express-News, 2/19/08) But Texas Does Not Have A Personal Or Corporate Income Tax. “Texas has no personal income tax, nor does Texas have a corporate income tax.” (Austin Chamber Of Commerce Website, www.austin-chamber.org, Accessed 2/20/08) OBAMA CALLS FOR TAXES ON COAL AND NATURAL GAS IN GAS PRODUCING STATE Don’t Mess With Taxes: Obama Called For A Tax On “Dirty Energy, Like Coal And … Natural Gas” In A State That Is A Huge Gas Producer: Obama: “What We Ought To Tax Is Dirty Energy, Like Coal And, To A Lesser Extent, Natural Gas.” (“Q&A With Sen. Barack
Obama,” San Antonio Express-News, 2/19/08)
But Texas “Is The Largest Oil And Gas Producing State In The U.S.” “Texas is the largest oil and gas producing state in the U.S. The state has more than 373,489 oil, gas, and injection wells.” (Railroad Commission Of Texas Website, www.rrc.state.tx.us,
Accessed 2/20/08)
FLASHBACK: Obama Has A High Tax Record On Energy In Both The U.S. Senate And Illinois Senate: In 2007, Obama Voted In Favor Of Legislation To Add A $32 Billion Tax Hike Package To The CLEAN Energy Act Of 2007. (H.R. 6, CQ Vote #223: Motion Rejected 57-36: R 10-34; D 45-2; I 2-0, 6/21/07, Obama Voted Yea) • The Tax Hike Would Have Hurt Domestic Oil And Gas Manufacturing And “Contributed To Higher Gasoline Prices.” “[The tax increase] would have excessively burdened oil companies that operate in Louisiana and other oilproducing states. It would have discouraged oil exploration, and contributed to higher gasoline prices.” (Editorial, “A
Sensible Energy Policy,” The [New Orleans] Times-Picayune, 6/23/07)
In 2003, Obama Voted To Tax Natural Gas Purchases. (S.B. 1733: Concurrence In House Amendment #4, Passed 31-27-00,
5/31/03, Obama Voted Yea)
In 2000, Obama Voted Against Making Permanent The Repeal Of Illinois’ 5 Percent Sales Tax On Gasoline. “[Obama] voted ‘No’ on making permanent the repeal of the state's 5 percent sales tax on gasoline.” (“Obama's Key Votes,” Belleville [IL] NewsDemocrat, 9/13/04; S.B. 1867: Illinois Senate Floor Third Reading, 46-12-0, 11/15/00, Obama Voted Nay)
In 1997, Obama Voted To Enact A Tax On Oil And Gas Production. (H.B. 998: Senate Third Floor Reading, Passed 54-2-0, 5/16/97,
Paid for by the Republican National Committee. 310 First Street SE - Washington, D.C. 20003 - (202) 863-8500 - www.gop.com Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
Obama Voted Yea)
In 1997, Obama Voted To “Impose A Tax On The Privilege Of Using Electricity.” (H.B. 362: Senate Third Floor Reading, Passed
57-2-0, 10/30/97, Obama Voted Yea)
OBAMA UNAWARE OF VETERANS’ ISSUES AFTER BEING BRIEFED ON THEM? When Informed That Texas Veterans Often Have To Travel Long Distances To Go To A VA Hospital, Obama Seemed Surprised And Said He Wants “To Fully Investigate This”: Question: “When you go to the Rio Grande Valley, you will face questions because the area has a great many veterans for whom the Veterans Administration is their only health care. Yet the closest VA hospitals are here in San Antonio. They have to travel upwards of 200 miles to get care.” (“Q&A With Sen. Barack Obama,” San Antonio Express-News, 2/19/08) • Obama: “If they have to drive five or six hours for full care I am glad I have learned about it because I want to fully investigate this.” (“Q&A With Sen. Barack Obama,” San Antonio Express-News, 2/19/08)
But Obama Has Been Briefed On Similar Veterans Issues In His Own State … In Front Of The Two Committees On Which He Serves: Maj. Ladda Tammy Duckworth, Director, Illinois Department Of Veterans’ Affairs: “In Illinois we have a significant rural population who live a long distance away from the nearest metropolitan area where the USDVA typically locates its Veterans service centers, clinics and hospitals. This poses a significant access issue for our Veterans. … [V]eterans still often have to travel a long distance in order to obtain care, often involving multiple overnights away from home as they wait for the various once-a-day shuttle bus services.” (Maj. Ladda Tammy Duckworth, Director, Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, Committee On Veterans’
Affairs, U.S. Senate, Testimony, 11/6/07)
•
Obama Is A Member Of The Veterans’ Affairs Committee. (U.S. Senate Committee On Veterans’ Affairs Website,
veterans.senate.gov, Accessed 1/30/08)
Maj. Duckworth: “One such example is the Danville VA hospital in central Illinois that routinely denies Veterans access to their local physicians for procedures as simple as a chest x-ray. The veteran is instead force[d] to take once-a day shuttles to pick up points for a second shuttle. If one misses any of the shuttles, one must stay overnight, out of ones’ own pocket, to catch the next day’s shuttle. When they finally reach Danville, it is a common experience for a Veteran to wait 4 hours to see a medical professional, followed by another three-four hour wait for pharmacy services. In the end, it is not unheard of for a Veteran to spend three or four nights away from home for a single doctor’s visit.” (Maj. Ladda Tammy Duckworth, Director, Illinois Department of
Veterans' Affairs, Committee On Health, Education, Labor And Pensions, U.S. Senate, Testimony, 11/8/07)
•
Obama Is A Member Of The Health, Education, Labor And Pensions Committee. (U.S. Senate Committee On Health,
Education, Labor And Pensions Website, help.senate.gov, Accessed 2/20/08)
2 Paid for by the Republican National Committee. 310 First Street SE - Washington, D.C. 20003 - (202) 863-8500 - www.gop.com Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.