By Troy Torres
First, it was Republican Gov. Eddie Calvo, who championed the business privilege tax increase that sent prices soaring on Guam starting in 2018. The Republican senators - except for Mary Torres - supported the higher taxes.
Then, when a Democrat took the reins of Adelup, the Republican minority in the Guam Legislature changed its tune and began advocating to repeal the BPT increase.
Last month, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero told senators during her annual state of the island speech that if they send her a bill making permanent a BPT tax reduction for small businesses, she'll sign it into law.
And so, Democrats Joe San Agustin and Tina Muna Barnes introduced that bill - Bill No. 74; and this afternoon they held a public hearing on the measure.
And now, at least one Republican senator is changing her tune... again.
Sen. Telo Taitague, during the hearing, expressed her reservations with the small business tax relief bill, stating, "If you do the math, it will jeopardize many agencies."
Her Democrat colleagues countered, saying they did do the math and factored in the $661 million in direct federal aid from the national government, and the 100 percent reimbursement of the earned income credit - both financial windfalls the result of Congressman Michael San Nicolas's advocacy.
Kandit has asked the Republican Party of Guam for a statement on the party's official stance on the BPT and tax increases.
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