CA: Higher state tax on beer? (1500% increase proposed,, by a Dem, of course)

Mercury News ^ | 4/11/08 | Mike Zapler

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO - Joe Six-pack will have to pay a lot more to get his buzz on if Assemblyman Jim Beall has his way.

The San Jose Democrat on Thursday proposed raising the beer tax by $1.80 per six-pack, or 30 cents per can or bottle. The current tax is 2 cents per can. That's an increase of about 1,500 percent.

Beall said the tax would generate $2 billion a year to fund health care services, crime prevention and programs to prevent underage drinking and addiction.

"The people who use alcohol should pay for part of the cost to society, just like we've accepted that concept with tobacco," Beall said.

He added that the beer tax hasn't been touched since 1991, and the increase then was meager.

But the freshman lawmaker will have to lift the legislative equivalent of a full keg of beer over his head to get his tax enacted. That's because it would require a two-thirds vote in the Assembly and Senate - and then, because it's a constitutional amendment, it would have to be approved by voters. Republicans say it's a non-starter.

"I predict the shelf life will be very short," said Assemblyman Roger Niello, R-Sacramento, vice chairman of the budget committee. ...

Mike Fox Sr., chairman of San Jose-based beer distributor M.E. Fox & Co., said Beall's heart is in the right place. "He's very dedicated in areas of health," Fox said. "But a tax of that nature is far too grievous. The beer industry produces so much for the economy. He won't get to first base with that."

Dan Gordon, co-founder of Gordon Biersch Brewing Co., calculated that the tax on a barrel of beer would go from $6.40 to $89. "We would all be looking for jobs," he said.

[martin_fierro]

Joe Six-pack will have to pay a lot more to get his buzz on if Assemblyman Jim Beall has his way.

Get 'im, boys.

[dashing doofus]

Unamerican bastard. Imagine what the Founders would think of this stupid, hare-brained, revenue raising scheme.

[jazusamo]

MORE BEER, less tax!

[FoxInSocks]

"The people who use alcohol should pay for part of the cost to society, just like we've accepted that concept with tobacco," Beall said.

Ahhhh, incrementalism. Gee, who didn't see this coming years and years and years ago.

[KrisKrinkle]

Do a Google search on “Whiskey Rebellion”.

[Lurker]

Imagine what the Founders would think of this stupid, hare-brained, revenue raising scheme.

You want to be careful with that line of reasoning. Look into The Whiskey Rebellion.

George Washington himself led Federal troops to put down the insurrection.

L

[Mr. Brightside]

How about an abortion tax to fund family planning services?

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Imagine what the Founders would think of this stupid, hare-brained, revenue raising scheme.

That's right. Why tax beer when you can tax whiskey. (And we all know what happened after that.)

[telebob]

Limo liberal, wine drinker, rat politician. ‘Nuff said.

[JoeSixPack1]

....just like we've accepted that concept with tobacco," Beall said.

The concept??
The concept of tar and feathering control-freak politicians was great too!

[vigilence]

He’s got it all wrong. Classical class envy dictates that he higher tax should be placed on the beverages of the rich...wine, champagne, brandy etc. Oh wait....then it would be he paying the taxes instead of middle class Americans, can’t have that.

[Living Free in NH]

Why can’t we shoot stupid politicians?

[Living Free in NH]

More people eat peas than drink beer. Why doesn’t he propose a pea tax? Hey, that’s it!!! EVERYONE pees. Tax that, instead.

[LetsRok]

How about a surtax on people with children instead of a tax credit? People with children use more gubmit services (i.e. schools, youth leagues) than people without children.

[albie]

Good! Californians deserve what they vote for! Of course, this actually has an effect on the people that didn’t want scumbag dems in the 1st place.

[Foolsgold]

The Real History Of The World

Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.

The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer.

These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:

1. Liberals; and
2. Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement.

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement. Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as girliemen.

Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.

Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass. Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare.

Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, athletes, Marines, and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing.

Here ends today's lesson in world history: It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily respond to the above before forwarding it. A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately to other true believers and to more liberals just to tic them off.

If you laugh (or smile), you're a Conservative. If you get ticked off, you're a Liberal.

[CSM]

The people who use alcohol should pay for part of the cost to society, just like we’ve accepted that concept with tobacco,” Beall said.”

New ox to gore ping!

[VeniVidiVici]

"The people who use alcohol should pay for part of the cost to society, just like we've accepted that concept with tobacco," Beall said.

Does this mean that CA lawmakers who establish sanctuary cities and allow illegals to run-up a never ending tab on the public's dime should be held responsible for paying the hugely increased costs associated with unfetered illegal immigration?

Great! Then I'm all for it!

[Signalman]

“Don’t...Tax...Beer!”

Al Bundy