Alabama Baptists have already expressed their opinion about the present state tax system. That officially happened during the annual convention in 2000 held in Montgomery. There the messengers called for a new state tax system that would bring “relief and justice to the poor.”
The conclusion is unmistakable. The present tax system overburdens the poor and is unjust.
That conclusion was not new for Alabama Baptists. During the lottery debate in 1999, Baptists of the state repeatedly called for a new tax structure that would address the real problems of Alabama. State-sponsored gambling, we said, did not address the real economic challenges facing our state. Gambling was only a Band-Aid. What Alabama needed was a cure.
The inequities of the present tax system are so widely documented that they are no longer seriously debated. Alabama has the lowest threshold for paying state income taxes of any state in the nation — $4,600 for a family of four. That is far below the poverty line. The poor pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than the more affluent of the state. People with incomes under $13,000 pay 10.9 percent of their income in taxes. Those making $229,000 pay only 4 percent. The poor pay a higher percentage of the total taxes of the state than the wealthy. Figures show that the bottom 20 percent pays 12 percent of the total taxes. The top 5 percent pays only 1 percent of total taxes.
Such problems caused former Alabama Gov. Albert Brewer, an active Baptist, to say of the state tax structure, “It’s an ethical issue, and certainly it indicates a (need for a) Christlike approach to the problem — just the basic unfairness of it (the tax system).”
National response to state tax reform
In a June 23 article about state budgets nationwide, USA Today made a one-sentence observation about the proposed tax plan for Alabama. The paper said the new system would redistribute the tax burden from the poor to the wealthier and to businesses. Obviously, the injustice of Alabama’s tax policies on the poor are well-known and well- documented. That is why Alabama Baptists called for “relief and justice to the poor” through a new state tax structure.
In the 2000 resolution, Alabama Baptists asked the governor and state Legislature “to develop and implement appropriate tax reform … .” Messengers were careful not to endorse a particular plan. The specifics, they said, are the responsibility of government, not churches. But the resolution was a clear statement that tax reform was an important issue for Alabama Baptists.
The influence of the resolution is debatable. What is not debatable is that Gov. Riley and the state Legislature have adopted and placed before the people of Alabama a new system of taxation for our state.
Practically everyone agrees the reason tax reform passed the Legislature is the dire conditions of the state budget. Education cannot be adequately funded. The infrastructure of the state is deteriorating. The penal system operates under several court orders. On and on go the horror stories. Something had to be done and done immediately.
To Gov. Riley’s credit, he seized the opportunity to do more than fix immediate problems. Gov. Riley recommended a restructuring of Alabama’s tax system designed to accomplish what Alabama Baptists called for in their resolution — relief to the poor and a just tax system. When advisors questioned some of the proposals, Gov. Riley opened his Bible and read them Scripture about responsibility for the poor, then stood by his recommendations.
Legislative leaders joined Gov. Riley in seizing the moment to address structural problems in the tax system. The tax proposal before Alabama citizens was adopted with support from both Democrats and Republicans. It is a unique opportunity when the governor and the elected state officials from both parties stand together in recommending to Alabama a new tax structure which could be the cure long sought for the state’s economic woes.
In addition to broad legislative support, the plan has attracted wide public support. Even though businesses will pay higher taxes if the proposal is adopted, many area chambers of commerce have endorsed the plan. Many statewide business groups have also announced support.
Religious groups such as the North Alabama Conference of United Methodists have already backed the tax proposal. Other groups are poised to announce their support. Many in the state are waiting to see what Alabama Baptists, the state’s largest religious group, will do.
The beginning point for Baptists is information. Becoming well-informed about the current tax system and the new proposal is vital. Already, a lot of half-truths are being circulated. Prayer is a necessity. What would God have Alabama Baptists do as individuals and what would He have us do with the influence entrusted to us in this state? The Bible is clear that “to whom much is given, much is required.”
Obviously, no one can speak for all Alabama Baptists. Not even an official resolution such as the one calling for tax reform represents everyone. Yet, we are the ones who called for a cure and not a Band-Aid to state problems while fighting lottery gambling. We are the ones who judged the present tax structure unjust. We are the ones who urged the governor and Legislature to adopt a more just and fair tax system.
They have. Now it is the voters’ turn.
In this writer’s judgment, it is time for Alabama Baptists, as responsible Christian citizens, to step up and demonstrate we really care about our state. After all, when we go to the polls Sept. 9 to vote on this issue nothing less than the welfare of Alabama is at stake.
Share with others: