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OPINION

Tax entertainment buys, not tobacco and alcohol

Letter
Comments (13)

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

(Updated 3:35 am)

This is a letter in protest of raising, yet again, taxes imposed on tobacco and alcohol. I personally do not consume tobacco or alcohol, but both have been taxed to death and it is time to look for alternatives.

It’s time that we look to create an “entertainment sales tax” that would be no more than a dollar but no less than 50 cents on purchases such as movie tickets, CDs, DVDs, iPods, X-Boxes, etc., that have larger buyer bases and that would raise more money to help solve more of our economic needs.

Sales taxes also should be included on items such as fishing, and hunting licenses and admission to state and national parks to help support such organizations like the Forestry Service. This would create more revenue for these programs so that they would not run the risk of being cut.

It’s time that we stop picking on the few and start looking to everyone to dig a little deeper, even if it is just a tiny bit deeper, to help put ourselves back on our feet once again.

Dorothy McNee
Madison

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Doug Johnson

July 1, 2009 - 5:55 am EDT

Cut the friggin waste, and give us a tax cut.
Not going to happen, they enjoy, freedom from the media!

danagain

July 1, 2009 - 6:29 am EDT

You know the tax & spend politicians have won when brainwashed citizens write letters to the editor asking to pay higher taxes.

left-wing conspiracy theorist

July 1, 2009 - 7:18 am EDT

Perhaps Doug & Dan would be so kind as to suggest where the waste is and specific instructions for trimming the budget.

Sheesh, it's hard being polite when dealing with some of their *adjective deleted* comments.

rbennet

July 1, 2009 - 7:51 am EDT

If you're open to other poster's ideas:

If you work in administration and are not required to be at work on snow days, your position is cut or moved to part time without benefits.

rbennet

July 1, 2009 - 11:47 am EDT

Want another? Stop building unique schools. Create three basic plans that incorporate simple and uniform expansion and use the best design of the three for any given region. Imagine the money saved on architects and atriums.

rbennet

July 1, 2009 - 12:30 pm EDT

Want another? Make it very difficult for state (and local) government agencies to look outside of NC for contractors and consultants unless it can be definitively shown that no one in the state can perform the task or that all in-state potentials are drastically overcharging.

I don't care who the mayor's wife's roommate in college works for in Tennessee now, we should support NC business first. Once a first-run network of known businesses are established, contracts and bids will flow more smoothly and require less administration. Not to mention keeping tax money here.

danagain

July 1, 2009 - 7:52 am EDT

Glad to oblige leftie:

http://projects.newsobserver.com/tags/citizens_against_government_waste

It's disappointing that NC ranks only 34th in pork per capita, although we have climbed up from 39th the previous year.

Let's not forget our former governor who used state aircraft to get to his beach house. And my favorite, his $170K taxpayer funded trip to Italy, including around $65K for private limo services. Easley claimed it was for "security". As if any Italians know who the governor of NC is or would want to do him harm. And of course his sweet deal in getting his wife a high paying job at NCSU seems to have fallen apart.

If you don't think there is waste in Raleigh, then I have a Teapot Museum to sell you. To her credit, I think Gov. Perdue sees the light and is trimming some waste.

left-wing conspiracy theorist

July 1, 2009 - 4:34 pm EDT

Teapot Museum?

Thanks for the link Dan. These are the things we should be talking about. I may be a leftie, but lefties hates waste too.

zeus80

July 1, 2009 - 9:21 am EDT

Ms. Dorothy McNee, I don't feel "brainwashed," do you? I agree with you that folks should "dig a little deeper" to help our nation survive. I enjoyed reading your thoughtful letter.

danagain

July 1, 2009 - 8:19 pm EDT

Quick question zeus, as you feel folks should "dig a little deeper", have you sent any of your extra money, above and beyond what you owe, to the IRS and to Raleigh? I believe they will take donations no? I haven't yet met someone arguing for more taxes that has already voluntarily paid more than they owe.

Left Wing Troll

July 1, 2009 - 9:56 am EDT

Taxes on individual retail items are non-productive because people will simply stop buying those items. Alcohol and Tobacco are easy targets because the consumers of them are going to smoke and drink at any cost. But nevertheless, more taxes and higher taxes should be secondary in our current fiscal debate. The time has come for North Carolinians and Americans as a whole to stand up and demand accountability from our Government. We can be socially responsible and progressive and still fiscally responsible. If I can do it in my personal family budget, there is no reason it can't be done on a larger scale in our state and federal budgets.

zeus80

July 1, 2009 - 9:59 am EDT

Troll, you make it sound easy to control things! Why don't you run for a political office? And I'll vote for you, at least one time!

overtaxed

July 1, 2009 - 8:02 pm EDT

If anyone wants proof of government waste then let's take a look at California.
Will someone please explain to me why the state (Ca.) that has Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Silicon Valley, 19 Pro Sports franchises, and one the highest GDP and taxes levied in the US is 24 billion in debt?
Don't believe me , then read what Wikipedia writes:

"Per capita GDP in 2007 was $41,805, ranking 7th in the nation.[44] Per capita income varies widely by geographic region and profession. The Central Valley is the most impoverished, with migrant farm workers making less than minimum wage. Recently, the San Joaquin Valley was characterized as one of the most economically depressed regions in the U.S., on par with the region of Appalachia.[45] Many coastal cities include some of the wealthiest per-capita areas in the U.S. The high-technology sectors in Northern California, specifically Silicon Valley, in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, have emerged from the economic downturn caused by the dot.com bust. In spring 2005, economic growth had resumed in California at 4.3 percent.[46]

California levies a 9.3 percent maximum variable rate income tax, with six tax brackets. It collects about $40 billion per year in income taxes. California's combined state, county and local sales tax rate is from 7.25 to 8.75 percent.[47] The rate varies throughout the state at the local level. In all, it collects about $28 billion in sales taxes per year. All real property is taxable annually, the tax based on the property's fair market value at the time of purchase. This tax does not increase based on a rise in real property values (see Proposition 13). California collects $33 billion in property taxes per year.