Nov 6: Gatto-isms gotta go.......

There is a new term emerging in Juneau to describe comments from lawmakers that raise eyebrows; Gatto-isms.

Named after Rep. Carl Gatto, who once referred to himself as the most uninformed legislator in Juneau, so far Gatto appears to have a monopoly on comments bearing his name.

Last week during the House Resources Committee, Gatto asserted the oil industry would drill unproductive wells to take advantage of tax credits. An industry executive asked why a company would lose a dollar for a fifteen cent tax credit? Gatto replied, depends on how many fifteen cents you're talking about.

During those same House Resources Committee hearings, Gatto was having an exchange over joint interest billing statements and the statute of limitations. Gatto was told that anytime a return is amended, the clock starts all over again from day one. Gatto replied, what if you don't want to amend your return, what if you just want to change some numbers?

Gatto also shared this with the committee. "I was a homesteader - absolutely miserable homesteader - complete failure - put every nickel into it, didn't get a penny out of it.  Slaved away- just couldn't do it - just total failure - you do what you have to do - you fail at something, go do something different."

In Gatto's case, doing something different means running for political office so you can impact critical tax policies.

But the biggest Gatto-ism came last night on the KTUU News where just before passing an estimated $1.2 billion tax increase he gave an emotional speech.

"I believe in my heart, to the depths of my body, that 25 percent was on the floor and 30 percent was on the floor and we were going to get somewhere between those two numbers," Gatto, R-Palmer said. "I think we were cheated. In fact, I know we were cheated. Heck, I read the papers."

Fact: On August 6, 2006 when the original PPT bill was on the House floor, Gatto voted against every single amendment to raise the tax rate. 

Gatto-isms.....is there no relief in sight? 

To see Rep. Gatto's voting history on PPT:

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill.asp?bill=HB3001&session=24