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Pay as you go: Florida lawmaker seeks to tax toilet paper
www.sun-sentinel.com ^
| March 10, 2005
| By DAVID ROYSE
Posted on 03/11/2005 5:08:37 AM PST by Millicent_Hornswaggle
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida's Legislature is flush with good ideas. Sen. Al Lawson's involves a 2 cent-per-roll tax on toilet paper to pay for wastewater treatment and help small towns upgrade their sewer systems. The Democratic lawmaker's pay-as-you-go bill has been the source of many jokes -- bathroom humor you might say -- but he says the issue is a serious one, especially in some of the fast-growing Panhandle coastal counties in his district. ``They're experiencing a tremendous boom in growth and they're not able to accommodate the growth,'' Lawson said. ``We've got 17 million people in this state and all of them can contribute to protecting our underground water supply.'' In a Republican-dominated Legislature that doesn't like new taxes, the idea is likely to pretty quickly end up in the tank. Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon, said he didn't think it would get too far, but didn't rule it out. ``We'll be getting to the bottom of it real soon,'' Lee said. The House is skeptical as well. ``We're not wild about tax increases,'' said House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City. ``But we'll certainly let it go through the system.'' If it were to pass, the extra two pennies would start being charged in October. Lawson said it could generate $50 million a year. It would also need approval from Gov. Jeb Bush. He said that if toilet paper is taxed, people might use less of it. ``That's not necessarily a good thing,'' noted the governor. And what about consumers? Wouldn't they be squeezed by a tax on the Charmin? No, says Lawson. ``Two cents is not going to hurt families at all,'' he said. ``This is one thing people don't mind paying for.''
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Political Humor/Cartoons; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: democrat; tax; taxes; toiletpaper
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This is very funny. How much are these guys paid, anyway?
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
Oh man, talk about a sh*tty tax....
2
posted on
03/11/2005 5:10:39 AM PST
by
Condor51
(May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't. - Gen G Patton)
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
L.O.L....that extra wipe is going to cost 'ya.....
3
posted on
03/11/2005 5:10:41 AM PST
by
Route101
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
``They're experiencing a tremendous boom in growth and they're not able to accommodate the growth,'' Lawson said. ``We've got 17 million people in this state And half of them are full of sh#t.
4
posted on
03/11/2005 5:11:17 AM PST
by
KidGlock
(W-1)
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle; Joe Brower
Will it be 4 cents for double-ply???
5
posted on
03/11/2005 5:12:32 AM PST
by
OXENinFLA
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
So the red county people with septic tanks are going to subsidize the blue county city dwellers? (again)
6
posted on
03/11/2005 5:12:42 AM PST
by
KidGlock
(W-1)
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
...Democratic lawmaker's pay-as-you-go bill ...Ah yes, you can always depend on the Dimocrats to come up with a new tax.
7
posted on
03/11/2005 5:12:54 AM PST
by
Lurking in Kansas
(Nothing witty hereā¦ move on.)
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
This might bring back the popularity of corn cobs.
8
posted on
03/11/2005 5:13:23 AM PST
by
scooter2
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
9
posted on
03/11/2005 5:13:49 AM PST
by
NautiNurse
(Osama bin Laden has more tapes than Steely Dan)
To: KidGlock
I think your estimate is low.
10
posted on
03/11/2005 5:13:50 AM PST
by
verity
(The Liberal Media and the ACLU are America's Enemies)
To: Route101
"You can have my toilet paper
when you pry it from my
cold dead hands."
11
posted on
03/11/2005 5:15:29 AM PST
by
KidGlock
(W-1)
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
This could get expensive.........
12
posted on
03/11/2005 5:15:37 AM PST
by
marmar
(Even though I may look different then you...my blood runs red, white and blue.....)
To: scooter2
This might bring back the popularity of corn cobs. And SEARS catalogs........
13
posted on
03/11/2005 5:15:44 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(The South seceded over refusal to end slavery. Blue states want to secede for the same reason......)
Comment #14 Removed by Moderator
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
Florida lawmaker seeks to tax toilet paperHe will back down when he sees how expensive it will be to clean out his own cranium.
15
posted on
03/11/2005 5:16:59 AM PST
by
70times7
(An open mind is a cesspool of thought)
To: verity
Bowel movement tax on urban residents would be fairer.
16
posted on
03/11/2005 5:17:42 AM PST
by
DonnerT
(Activist judges are secular Imams.)
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
Couldn't we claim that it's an 'offensive' tax and selective against women??? ;-)
17
posted on
03/11/2005 5:17:52 AM PST
by
repub_phdstudent
((one of the few Republican 22-year old academians in the Northeast!))
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
I really hope this doesn't cause a Laffer curve effect when the use of toilet paper drops due to taxation. The consequences would just be too dire...
18
posted on
03/11/2005 5:19:00 AM PST
by
dirtboy
(Drooling moron since 1998...)
To: DonnerT
Hmmmm,, there was a tea party for tax on tea,, what would be appropriate for a TP tax?
19
posted on
03/11/2005 5:22:06 AM PST
by
DonnerT
(Activist judges are secular Imams.)
To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
If you drive a car
I'll tax the street;
If you try to sit
I'll tax your seat;
If you get too cold
I'll tax the heat;
If you take a walk
I'll tax your feet.
If you take a sh*t
I'll tax the sheet.
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