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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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To: PatrickHenry

ROFLMAO!


61 posted on 03/11/2005 7:53:29 AM PST by NautiNurse (Osama bin Laden has more tapes than Steely Dan)
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To: 6SJ7
I can see it now. Cars with out of state plates, their trunk filled with cases of bootleg Charmin, barreling down back country roads in the middle of the night.


And private rest rooms in the bad part of town using illegal untaxed TP. They will of course be called "Poop Easies"
62 posted on 03/11/2005 8:00:09 AM PST by Cowman
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To: mewzilla

A quick question:

If the population has doubled, doesn't the tax base double at the same time? Florida should be FLUSH with money.


63 posted on 03/11/2005 8:05:08 AM PST by dearolddad
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To: PatrickHenry

Not sure I'd go to Georgia this morning.


64 posted on 03/11/2005 8:23:02 AM PST by VadeRetro (Liberalism is a cancer on society. Creationism is a cancer on conservatism.)
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To: Millicent_Hornswaggle

That, and a tax on condoms.

They'll tax you coming and going...


65 posted on 03/11/2005 8:24:17 AM PST by null and void ( That you apparently understood that little rant leaves me in awe, and yet filled with consternation)
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To: VadeRetro

If I had a gas station on the Florida-Georgia border, I'd be installing a long row of pay toilets. Gotta keep the "toilet traffic" under control.


66 posted on 03/11/2005 8:29:27 AM PST by PatrickHenry (<-- Click on my name. The List-O-Links for evolution threads is at my freeper homepage.)
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To: Millicent_Hornswaggle

Will the tax be lower for lower quality t.p.?


67 posted on 03/11/2005 8:35:13 AM PST by navygal
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To: AnOldCowhand

I could support this proposal if the government added language that meant any taxed product could not be purchased by any government agency. I wonder how long they could survive without TP....


68 posted on 03/11/2005 9:10:11 AM PST by CSM (Currently accepting applications for the position of stay at home mom.)
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To: CSM
What about Indian reservations? could you stock up on untaxed TP there like people do with cigarettes?

If so you could buy TP in a Tepee
69 posted on 03/11/2005 10:47:29 AM PST by Cowman
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To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
Emperor Vespacian tried this back in the old Roman Empire. His son Titus asked why he was taxing public latrines. Vespacian waved a coin under his nose and said:
Pecunia non olet; Atqui, inquit, e lotio est!

-Money has no smell...And yet it comes from human waste!

I think the only waste here is the waste of money and time the good people of Florida have to endure with this tripe.

70 posted on 03/11/2005 1:34:31 PM PST by akorahil (DNC Talking Point - "Bush = Hitler"...RNC Talking Point - "Let DNC Talk")
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To: Millicent_Hornswaggle

It may be a good time to buy stock in Bidet Inc.


71 posted on 03/11/2005 1:40:31 PM PST by Typelouder
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