By Representative Brent Crane

Given these difficult economic times, this is no time to be raising taxes - especially a 246 percent increase. It's an even worse time to be imposing a higher tax on a business enterprise.In essence, those were my reasons for opposing the proposed tax increase on beer and wine. The House Revenue and Taxation Committee held hearings on the issue last week and for three days proponents argued that since beer and wine contribute to the problem of alcohol and substance abuse, it's only logical that the drinkers and the wine and beer industries pay for substance-abuse treatment. I absolutely agree that substance-abuse treatment programs are good for the state and are badly needed. Treatment programs go a long way toward helping people become productive citizens, rather than the latest prison statistics. This is a time when we need to set priorities for government, and our view is that substance-abuse treatment is a legitimate priority. However, we need to do that within the confines of the current budget. Those operators told the committee that a new tax - a 246 percent increase - would put their businesses in jeopardy. Idaho has lost enough businesses and jobs. The last thing we need to do is increase taxes.