They'll have to pry my Penney Fee from my cold, dead bellbottoms.
Posted on 07/09/2008 8:33:16 AM PDT by RetSignman
Yesterday on our local news in Charleston SC it was announced that in November’s Berkeley County ballot, a referendum is going to be added to vote on a PENNEY FEE increase we would have to pay, if passed. What was the reason for the PENNY FEE? They blamed the proposed increase because of high gas prices, that’s right, people were forced to conserve on gas so they want the public tax payers to pick up the tab because our conservation of gas was hurting county revenues.
My question is what are THEY doing to conserve on fuel or ANYTHING? Will they reduce the number of men on a road site leaning on shovels watching one work from three to two? Will they suspend all county personnel pay raises? Will they temporarily decrease the number of paid holidays for county personnel? Will they stop the use of county vehicles for personal use? What cuts are they willing to make instead of putting forward tax increases on the already taxed to death public? No, they will take the path of least resistance, straight to our thin wallets.
But he biggest insult to the American tax payers is the way any such increases is presented by the politicians and the local media, they call it a PENNY FEE, you will never, ever hear them say the dreaded words...a ONE PERCENT TAX INCREASE. What happens if this (fee) passes and suddenly the gas prices take a tumble? Will the {fee) be done away with? Not on your life, we are still going to be paying that increased tax on everything we buy for the rest of our residency in the county.
In years past, this same tactic was used in South Carolina and I have done what little I could to confront this issue of camouflaging tax increases and couching them ‘penny fee’s’. I wrote letters to our local newspaper and called in to local talk show’s, of course, it did little good other than to vent my feelings and separate me from the herd of sheep. However, whenever someone would complain about the high taxes we were paying, it DID give me right to ask…what did YOU do when they were being proposed or voted on?
I have often suspected that those National Mayor’s and National Governor’s Conferences (which is also paid with our tax dollars) is nothing more a meeting place for them to compare notes on how to separate the public from their hard earned dollars and all the while praising themselves on all the good deeds they will perform with those dollars and the problems they will solve with our money. The sad and undeniable truth is when tax increases are targeted for a specific program or problem; it mysteriously disappears into the ‘general fund’, and never to be seen again. The problem will still exist only to be taxed again later because it didn’t work the first time.
In the case of the upcoming 'one penny fee’, which is going to be on the ballot for my county, I composed and sent a letter to our Governor and I will write letters to the editor expressed my opinion on the subject. It may be just another voice in the darkness but at least I will not feel the guilt of saying nothing and quietly integrating myself with the rest of the sheep.
I will not step down from my soapbox and ask you FReepers if any of this sounds familiar in YOUR state because I feel it is probably a nationwide political practice.
I live in New Jersey.
TAXachusetts.
I live in Taxachusetts -
& Check out my tagline.
I live in California...’nuff said.
“Will they reduce the number of men on a road site leaning on shovels watching one work from three to two?”
In Mass, we have mandatory police doing construction details.
In this case, there are 2-3 cops standing around drinking a coffee while one guy is in the hole working. You can see the look on the guy’s face, too. He’s trying to laugh at the cops’ crappy jokes, but he’s thinking “you’re making five times what I making, and I’m the one in the damn hole. And they are taking one third of what I make to pay you to stand around an bother me while I’m in this hole.”
“I live in California...’nuff said.”
Stick a fork in CA ... it’s done.
Your county sounds “EggsAckley” like the way MY county is run. They must have compared notes at some of those seminars we pay for them to attend.
Keep that stuff from oozing down here in Ohio, would ya?
Notes on lost Federal Government Revenues...
The Feds lost at least $74M because of ‘conservation’ nov-may (less 30B miles driven) on just gas taxes.
In May and June, 2000 trucking companies closed their doors leaving 100,000 trucks idle. It cost the government $55M in 2290’s alone.
Consider the ‘ripple effect’ and the US government is loosing alot of money. The other day on CSpan they were discussing a VAT (Value Added Tax) of 17% to make up the difference.
Katie, bar the door!
They'll have to pry my Penney Fee from my cold, dead bellbottoms.
Mine, too!!1!
Sounds like what they are doing is simple math. Has nothing to do with the amount of money they have but the amount of money the people have. When conserving gas, that means the people have more money in their pockets. The state wants it. Why? The people have more money to fight them with and the government doesn’t like it. “Keep the people broke and you have them where you want them.” An old professor told me that many years ago. He’s right on.
Run for their office and let the voter’s decide................
Interesting. Our costs go up. We take it in the shorts.
Government costs go up. We take it in the shorts.
What part of “bite me” does our government not understand?
No, I really feel good about politicians taking every dime I make to buy their votes with. Making a contribution to every corrupt slimey liberal out to destroy my country just makes me swell with pride. Please sir, may I have another kick in the teeth.
here’s a novel idea
cut spending!
Legislation should be brought forth in each city, county and State of the union to require an immediate minimum 10% budget cut this next fiscal year and another 10% the following year. And NO budgetary increases allowing for inflation in ANY budget, for the next three years.
There would be outrage, but who cares!
We serfs have to cut spending so should government.
That is the only solution.
Hold the bass turds accountable!
What’s even funnier martin, is that in MY county, the county workers seem to be making more in wages and retirement bennies that most counties, maybe even yours. We had a police chief retire not too long ago, in his early 50s I believe, and get full retirement from the county. Then he went over to YOUR neck of the woods and got another high paying job. He’s raking it in.
We live on the government plantation.
(psssst: We live in the same county)
Nebraska: 7/1/08 gas tax went up 3 cents/gallon due to the revenues were down since usage was down.
Does anyone else pay sales tax on the water that comes into your home from public utility? There is no sales tax on bottled water from the grocery store or no sales tax on water used for irrigation, but if you want to take a shower or wash your clothes... taxes.
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