Our total budget was $4.1b in 1990; 7.4b in 2002, and 9.6b in 2015--the highest per capita in the nation. Mr. Hertz doesn't provide real numbers so we can't check his or Gillam's "research". 

If we listen to ISER, we should tax our fishing industry---many of whom live out of state and pay the least tax--3%--of any sector. On 1/7/16, this forum published an article entitled "ISER study finds state spends more on commercial fishing than it earns." Maybe Rep. Seaton, a fisherman, should read that study. After all, "it's our fish".

I won't defend Gillam, but his business is VERY portable. It's not about him, per se, but about the consequences of higher taxes. People and businesses move to avoid taxes. 

Finally, let's insist our budget is published in a simple, consistent language that we can all understand. We print ballots in different languages and insist our restrooms are handicap accessible, yet we fail to make our finances understandable and accessible to the people. Why?