JACKSON -Let's explode the myth early, shall we?
At the end of the 2004 regular session, state legislators could be heard telling every available member of the press that it was a tough session: "But at least we held the line and didn't raise any new taxes!"
What a steaming load of political horse manure - and the stench from it is pungent enough that even the most unplugged, disaffected taxpayer can't pry it from his nostrils.
Of course, the Legislature raised your taxes. They guaranteed new local taxes when they passed an average 20 percent pay raise for sheriffs, county supervisors and other officials to be paid by county taxpayers from county revenues.
Many counties warned legislators and Gov. Haley Barbour that the raises would make county property tax increases necessary. But the Legislature signed the pay raise bill and Barbour signed it and the tax hikes are coming.
The pay raises become effective Oct. 1 and also include justice court judges, tax assessors/collectors, court reporters, bailiffs, constables, chancery clerks, circuit clerks, coroners and county attorneys.
The Legislature raised your taxes again when they decided to go along with Governor Barbour's strategy to spend down local school district maintenance fund reserves rather than appropriate adequate state dollars for the state portion of the education funding formula.
Again, revenue shortfalls in the school districts will have to be made up by school district taxpayers through increased school tax millage. Like the county pay raises, the Legislature gave local taxpayers a "trickle down" tax increase.
Now comes the third fresh pile in the political pasture - discussions of tuition and fee hikes at the state's eight universities and colleges and at the state's 15 community and junior colleges.
The state College Board was scheduled to discuss today proposed tuition increases and increases in fees for room, board and other living expenses. At least four of the state's community colleges have tuition hikes already on the table.
Who will pay these higher tuition costs and increased fees? I will, along with every other parent with students entering the state's higher education system - and the kids themselves who are working their way through school.
The tuition and fee hikes at the universities and community colleges are necessary because the Legislature failed to provide adequate funding for those education systems.
The universities got some $93 million less than they requested for fiscal 2005 while the community colleges got $47 million less than they requested. So the parents and students are being asked to pick up the tab for the difference in tuition and fees hikes.
What's the money going for? Faculty pay increases and other expenses that are the responsibility of the state.
Shouldn't parents and students bear a sizeable portion of the expense for the costs of a college education? Sure.
But state university tuitions increased three consecutive years between 2000-03 to offset $98.5 million in budget cuts. The parents and students are already bearing at the very least their share of the financial burden.
And make no mistake - when the Legislature and the governor fail to secure sufficient funding for universities and subsequently tuition increases in four of five consecutive budget years, that's a tax hike on parents and students.
So let's recap: After the 2004 session, my car tag will go up, my real estate tax gets hiked and Kate's college tuition, room and board fees are increasing?
Legislature held the line on any new taxes this year? That's a good one.
