Golden Sleaze Awards - The Kill the Poor Award

Georgia Republicans hoping to shed their reputation as the party that doesn’t give a damn about the less fortunate can thank Knight for ruining their efforts. He fought tooth-and-nail to balance the state budget on the backs of the poor with a proposal to [http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/7238785/article-Bill-would-end-taxrefundsto-those-who-don-t-pay-taxes?instance=home_news_lead_story|eliminate a low-income tax credit] that benefits the poorest of Georgians, including many senior citizens on fixed incomes. Knight insisted that the credit was a handout to a group that, because of low earnings, doesn’t trigger income tax liability. The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, however, said the $26-per-person income tax credit helps to offset the disproportionate burden the poor carry in the form of sales taxes. Although his bill failed to pass the House, Knight managed to finagle its language onto a different piece of legislation tricked out with tax cuts and which passed in the final hours of the session.