New HHS nominee: Kathleen Sebelius — or rather, Kathleen Taxelius

Barack Obama just introduced his latest candidate for the HHS position from which Tom Daschele withdrew over his, you know, tax goofs.

The new pick is Kansas Democrat Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. You’ll remember her cardboard-stiff SOTU response last and her snotty trashing of Sarah Palin.

Looks like there are no nanny and IRS issues in Sebelius’s closet. Her problem isn’t that she’s a tax cheat. It’s that she’s a taxaholic:

SEBELIUS HAS A HISTORY OF “TWISTING ARMS” TO RAISE TAXES

Kansas Has A High Tax Burden:

Kansas Ranks In The Bottom Half Of States For State Business Tax Climate. “Kansas ranks 31st in the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index. The Index compares the states in five areas of taxation that impact business: corporate taxes; individual income taxes; sales taxes; unemployment insurance taxes; and taxes on property, including residential and commercial property. The ranks of neighboring states were as follows: Nebraska (42rd), Missouri (16th), Oklahoma (18th), and Colorado (13th).” (The Tax Foundation Website, www.taxfoundation.org, Accessed 3/1/09)

Kansas Has The 13th Highest Property Tax Burden. The American Legislative Exchange Council ranks Kansas 38th among states’ property tax burdens, with 1st being the lowest, and 50th being the highest. (Arthur B. Laffer and Stephen Moore, American Legislative Exchange Council, “Rich States Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index,” www.alec.org, 2007, p.71)

Sebelius’ Solution To High Taxes Is To Raise More Taxes:

Sebelius Has Called For Hiking The State Sales Tax 8%, The Income Tax By 5%, And Property Tax 10%. “The governor proposes to: Increase the state’s sales tax rate from 5.3 to 5.5 percent on July 1, to 5.6 percent in 2005 and to 5.7 percent in 2006. Impose a 5 percent surcharge on personal income taxes, with no expiration date specified. Raise the state’s 20-mill property tax levy for schools to 21 mills in 2005 and to 22 mills in 2007.” (Chris Moon, “Governor’s Plan Would Raise Three Kinds Of Taxes,” Topeka [KS] Capital-Journal, 2/26/04)

Her Plan Would Have Raised Over $600 Million In New Taxes. “[Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, would raise income, sales and property taxes and spend $663 million more on public schools over the next three years." (Jim Sullinger and John L. Petterson, "It's GOP's Turn At School Finance," The Kansas City Star, 3/13/04)

Already This Year, Sebelius Has Come Out In Favor Of A $0.50 Per Pack Cigarette Tax Increase, Saying She'd Be "Twisting Arms" To Help Pass It. "Gov. Kathleen Sebelius [advocated] proposals that include a 50-cent per pack increase in the state cigarette tax. ‘I will be campaigning for this, urging people to do it, twisting arms to do it,’ Sebelius said.” (Scott Rothschild, “Sebelius, Barnett Join Forces On Tobacco Tax,” Lawrence [KS] Journal-World & News, 1/10/08)

Other stains on the Sebelius record:

*Her abortion extremism and ties to late-term abortionist George Tiller.

*An auditing mess in her state’s health policy agency overseeing federal health care programs.

Heckuva job, Kathy!

By Michelle Malkin