“Nothing is certain but death and taxes.”
That old expression that dates back to the 18
th
century continues to have relevance today.
In Michigan, the hue and cry over Governor Whitmer’s
proposed 45-cent fuel tax hike for road repairs that would be fully in place by
Christmas of 2020 may pale in comparison to what other states have either
enacted or are proposing.
In New York State, lawmakers have approved legislation to
ban carry-out plastic bags from grocery and retail stores. Starting next year,
such bags in the Empire State would only be allowed for carrying deli meat,
fish, and for takeout food. The kicker is a three-cent state levy for shoppers
to use paper bags, with counties allowed to tack on a couple of more pennies to
raise cash for reusable shopping bags. Of course, there was no mention of the
sanitation issues that reusable bags create when they are not regularly washed.
In Illinois, lawmakers are considering the Video Service Tax
Modernization Act and the Entertainment Tax Fairness Act which would charge a
one percent tax on viewers for watching streaming video services such as
Netflix. There was no mention as to what the money would be used for, and there
is the suspicion that “big cable” is financially behind these measures as a way
to fight back from the growing consumer “cord cutting” that is threatening the
cable and satellite industries.
Other states have renewed a push for levying taxes on sugary
drinks in the wake of a series of recommendations, made by the American Academy
of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association and released last month, that
this would cut down on “reducing access to such beverages by children” and to “encourage
healthier alternatives.” Nice sentiments, until one looks deeper into who would
benefit from such reductions (i.e., industries such as dairy and bottled
water), and in the wake of the Flint Water Crisis and PFAS, the health risks of
drinking municipal/well water may be just as great or even greater. In
addition, just where would this extra tax revenue go? The cynical side of us
can only imagine.
Senator Bernie Sanders and other “progressive” politicians
are stumping for “socialism” in America. It may be even closer than we think.
Thanks.
