Posted on 02/27/2005 7:48:03 AM PST by gonewt
Some N.C. tax targets not part of U.S. effort
Increases on liquor, candy, movie tickets, more may be contested
Associated Press
RALEIGH - Gov. Mike Easley is seeking sales tax increases on a variety of consumer items, arguing that the jumps are necessary and driven by a nationwide effort to streamline some taxes.
But not all of the second-term Democrat's proposed increases apply to goods that are part of that effort -- and they could face significant opposition.
Easley has proposed tax increases on items such as phone bills, liquor and cable television. But his planned increases on movie tickets and live entertainment, newspapers and candy are not part of the national effort or do not need any increases to comply with it.
(Excerpt) Read more at charlotte.com ...
Easley won by a solid margin in 2004. I just don't get it.
Gotta feed all that cheap illegal labor doncha know.
Gov. Mike Easley is seeking sales tax increases on a variety of consumer items, arguing that the jumps are necessary and driven by a nationwide effort to streamline some taxes.But not all of the second-term Democrat's proposed increases apply to goods that are part of that effort -- and they could face significant opposition.
Easley has proposed tax increases on items such as phone bills, liquor and cable television. But his planned increases on movie tickets and live entertainment, newspapers and candy are not part of the national effort or do not need any increases to comply with it.
"In order to collect sales tax on the Internet, you have to streamline the system," Easley said, "so that you collect everything at one rate or you don't collect anything on it at all. These were items that were left on the table that we had to deal with."
That's true for phone usage, cable and satellite service, purchases of film materials, and farm machinery and fuel. Adopting Easley's proposal would also begin sales taxes on newspaper, candy, movie tickets or other kinds of entertainment, which would bring an additional $54 million a year.
Easley's senior budget adviser, Dan Gerlach, acknowledged the state could have left those alone, but said "we chose to tax at the full rate." He said the changes would undo a system lacking uniformity.
But numerous industry representatives said Friday that Easley should look elsewhere to settle his budget.
Steve Smith, who owns several movie theaters in the Carolinas, said he's thinking of printing lawmakers' names on the backs of movie tickets to show that the increased cost wasn't his idea.
Newspaper publishers are also preparing to fight the proposed tax on subscriptions and newsstand sales.
NC pingers!
Tax and spend... the mantra of the Dims...
Is there ANYthing in Easley's proposed budget that is reduced or an outright cut?
higher taxes from a democrat??
what did you expect?
the RINO bob riley tried this in alabama in the beginning of his term and people haven't forgot i will be very surprised if he makes it through the next election
"Easley won by a solid margin in 2004. I just don't get it."
Me, neither. But then I voted for Ballantine.
"...cheap illegal labor..."
This is exactly the problem here and elsewhere. Government spending was geared to high-pay manufacturing jobs, in furniture and textiles in the case of North Carolina. Now the geniuses in Congress have shipped those overseas and people don't make $25 an hour, nor do they pay taxes on that amount. Of course the immigrants don't pay taxes at all. They are paid under the table
Me too...I'm from NC, so I can say this...I don't know how these stupid NC yokels can vote for Bush and then turn right around and vote for Easley!
bookmark
"I don't know how these stupid NC yokels can vote for Bush and then turn right around and vote for Easley!"
How true, but they do it all the time -- witness the Jim Hunt years. Sigh. But at least I'm down here near Wilmington -- away from the liberal bastions of the triangle.
wow. first there was the duplicate thread police, and now the excerpting police.
seig heil! ;-)
Thank you. Glad to be of service. :)
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