Tax cuts first before death penalty
The House should first pass the bill slashing individual as well as corporate income taxes before debating lengthily on the measure reviving the death penalty.
If we want our economy to grow faster and create more jobs, we should first bring down personal income taxes from 32 percent to 25 percent, and cut corporate income taxes from 30 percent to 25 percent.
We should take the cue from the Senate, which has categorically declared that while reducing income taxes is among their main concerns, the reimposition of death sentences is not among their priorities.
The proposed restoration of the death penalty is not among the urgent bills that the Senate plans to approve in the 17th Congress, since there was no assurance it would get the support of the chamber, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said last week.
The bill lowering income taxes is obviously among the priorities of both chambers, so we should approve it first, more so because the Senate cannot pass any tax reform bill until it has been endorsed by the House.
Article 6, Section 24 of the 1987 Constitution mandates that: “All appropriation, revenue or tariff bills, bills authorizing increase of the public debt, bills of local application, and private bills shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments.
Let us focus on passing the positives, and abandon the negatives. Tax cuts are highly positive. The death penalty is extremely negative.
Tax cuts would put more money at the disposal of low-and middle-income families, and help drive household final consumption spending, thus creating greater demand for goods and services, and encouraging industries to expand capacity and increase hiring.
Household final consumption spending accounts for 75.1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, according to the National Economic Development Authority.
Lower taxes would also encourage corporate investment spending that would in turn help spur even more jobs.
The House is set to begin this week plenary consideration of the bill restoring the death penalty.
Meanwhile, the bill pruning income taxes is still being threshed out by the House ways and means committee.-- Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza
Road repair needed
I recently went around Talisay City using the road from Dumlog going to Pooc. I found out how bad the road is, especially in that part that is being used extensively by trucks.
Grabe ang mga libaong. This is also true in other roads in Talisay. I think this is the legacy of the administration of former mayor Johnny V. de los Reyes. But what is the new administration of Mayor Eduardo Gullas doing?
It is true that six months pa si EddieGul but he can act on the problem. Pwede ra man tapakan og espalto labina ang lawom kaayo nga libaong. The problem worsened when it rained for several days. Unsay tan-aw nimo Mayor Gullas? Please act on the problem fast.-- Derio Manapas of Tungkil, Minglanilla