Posted on 07/15/2009 5:07:54 AM PDT by reaganaut1
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is proposing to raise about $10 billion a year to fix aging water and sewer systems by taxing the biggest users.
The legislation, which has sparked significant opposition from industry, is expected to be unveiled Wednesday at a news conference on Capitol Hill.
The bill calls for a 0.15% tax on any corporation earning a profit of more than $4 million a year. Manufacturers of any water-based beverages, excluding alcohol, would see a four-cent tax per container. Soaps, detergents, toiletries, toilet tissue, water softeners and cooking oils would face a 3% tax on wholesale prices. Pharmaceuticals would be taxed at 0.5% of the wholesale price.
...
A spokeswoman for Mr. Blumenauer said the trust fund created under the bill would bring in about $10 billion a year.
Concerns about the safety and integrity of water systems is a perennial concern, particularly in older cities. Recent water-main breaks in New York City have disrupted traffic and transit.
A U.S. Chamber of Commerce representative, Janet Kavinoky, said: "Anytime there's a broad base of general taxes being used to fund infrastructure, the chamber is going to take a close look at how that affects our members."
The chamber also has concerns that a federal subsidy for infrastructure repair could send a signal to local municipalities that they don't need to charge the real cost of providing water.
...
Kevin Keane, senior vice president of the American Beverage Association, said beverage companies would almost certainly raise their prices to help compensate for the tax. This is just another example of "raising taxes on the middle class," Mr. Keane said. [It] would just add to the burden of taxpayers at a time they are already facing economic struggles," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
what fools voted for this radical? he will even get us when we die.
Darn,
I thought the “Stimulus Bill” was designed to repair roads and bridges. Wasn’t it the “jobs bill”?
A spokeswoman for Mr. Blumenauer said the trust fund created under the bill would bring in about $10 billion a year.
No more taxation!
The government takes way too much money already.
Why is this so hard for so many people to understand?
But, but, but....
The MSM says the GOP can't be the party of "no".
“Manufacturers of any water-based beverages, EXCLUDING alcohol...”
Thank, Goodness! I was worried for a minute there! That’s good news because I know I’VE been drinking a lot more to numb the pain since the last election; hasn’t everyone? ;)
So now they really want to tax the $#!+ out of us!
Yes—why don’t they just call them ‘government distrust funds’?
Exactly.
"According to the latest figures from the Federal Highway Administration, motorists gave state and local government $40.3 billion in 2005 for the ability to drive and own a vehicle. Gasoline taxes accounted for $20.5 billion in revenue while registration fees and miscellaneous taxes generated $13.5 billion. State and local toll roads also collected $6.4 billion from motorists. After accounting for administration and overhead, $28.5 billion remained for all fifty states to spend in 2005. Of this amount, only $13 billion was spent on state and local road construction and maintenance.
A total of $8.9 billion of motorists' money was diverted into unrelated uses. A total of $1.4 billion went to mass transit and $7.5 billion was used for social spending. The remaining amount went to related uses such as paying down transportation debt and funding highway law enforcement. "
Can’t wait to tell Husband about THIS new tax! He already mocks me for my toilet paper obsession.
I grew up poor and sometimes TP was a LUXURY! Then I spent 20 years in the Army, and when you’re using the woods as your bathroom, there’s no TP hanging off a tree branch like there is in a Charmin commercial, LOL! (Note to today’s soldiers; always keep a roll of TP in your duffle bag or field pack, inside a ziplock bag. Trust me on this...TP is GOLD when it’s scarce and worth more than a pack of smokes in prison.)
When I get down to 8 rolls on hand I stock up again. In fact, I told my Dad to stop buying me frivolous gifts and buy me practical things, so he bought me a case of TP as my Christmas gift one year, LOL!
See tagline.
Maybe the people who don’t pay taxes voted him in. Along with their lefties out on the left coast who make so much money they can’t even count it.
Who says that politicians only pass taxes on the little folk while exempting themselves. (Social Security Medicare)
Why Congresscritters should be praised if the bill goes through since they will be among the biggest taxpayers. After all, they use the most toilet paper since they are full of - - - -.
Since when is this a federal problem. If we grant for the sake of argument that this is a fee rather than a tax, why can’t states and localities (the ones that pay for water and sewer infrastructure) institute this or put it to the voters if needed?
Soap and toilet paper store well. Stock up before they get taxed.
Watch it...that hints at capitalism, and that kind of language vill not be tolerated...
Hey, I have a well and septic! I pay to have my poop pumped by a licensed poop pumper, and the waste water goes right back into the ground so others further down the aquifer can use it in a few years.
Let each city decide how to renovate their own infrastructure, who the decided this was a federal issue anyway?
Hey, your a mom, have you noticed how fast soap is dissolving now compared to a few years ago? I want to find a few bars of 20+ year old soap and compare how fast it dissolves against a new bar of the same stuff.
It sure seems like we are using a whole lot more in the shower than we ever did, and since most people are brand specific buyers this just means bigger sales each year for people like Unilever and Proctor and Gambles.
How do you like my tinfoil hat, kind of tight huh?
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