VA: Fairfax hungry for more revenue (Democrats want more taxes, fees) (Party of Taxes™ alert)

The Washington Post ^ | 2009-11-28 | Fredrick Kunkle

[rabscuttle385]

[rabscuttle385]

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[Mark was here]

What is a meals tax exactly?

[hal ogen]

Dear “Rulers”: STOP SPENDING!!!!

[rabscuttle385]

What is a meals tax exactly?

It's an extra tax on meals served in restaurants, above and beyond the general 5 percent sales tax. Some localities have it; others don't.

Bottom line: in some parts of Virginia, total taxes paid on a restaurant bill can be in the 9 percent to 10 percent range, and that's on top of any tip left.

[freespirited]

Would you gladly pay more for a cheeseburger today if it keeps your local librarian working tomorrow?

Nope. And BTW how many persons employed by the Crazy County make >100K/year?

[muawiyah]

Fairfax County board and "staff" ~~

[muawiyah]

Fairfax County has about a million people, and a large number of them live on fixed incomes. Absent "cafeteria style" eating establishments, many elderly retirees eat at restaurants.

Hyland'proposal targets the elderly.

[wiggen]

Not only that but if people decide not to go out and eat then you’ll have people in the restaurant business out of work. Heck,in this economy,how many restaurants are just making it and won’t be able to pay bills with a falloff of 4 or 5% in traffic? These libs just can’t seem to understand the answer is not more taxes b ut less spending.

[Nervous Tick]

>> Hyland said the budget picture is so grim that voters might be more willing than in the past to support a meals tax.

You know what, Hyland? I bet voters would be even MORE willing to FIRE about 35% of all the local government employees, and cut the wages of the other 65% by 20%, to balance the budget. Have you asked them?

[Westlander]

[ml/nj]

Bottom line: in some parts of Virginia, total taxes paid on a restaurant bill can be in the 9 percent to 10 percent range, and that's on top of any tip left.

See, I can't use his library since I live in NJ. Our taxes are bad enough here, but next time I'm eating in Fairfax County which I do from time to time, I'll be reducing my tip by the amount that the extra tax costs me. It's time for residents to stop gouging visitors. Restaurant workers take note. I cannot vote these @$$holes out, but you can.

ML/NJ

[relictele]

"The best thing to say to a room full of people is that even though we're in a tough time and a recession, you still go out to eat," Hyland said. "It's discretionary."

Collectivists do love to generalize don't they?

[Cathy]

Several municipalities in NOVA have a meals tax, Loudoun has tried to pass one 3 times in the last 15 years and it gets voted down every time. And yes, there is noise about putting it on the ballot in 2010 even though it was just voted down 2 years ago.

The problem in NOVA is the not one governing body, particularly Fairfax and Loudoun Counties will cut the school budget. Currently in Loudoun the schools get about 70% of the budget and we are up for a big battle the first of the year. Fairfax is worse off than we are, but they have a larger commercial tax base - whereas everything is on the backs of property owners here.

It’s a mess, and there is plenty of places in the budget to cut in both counties - but they would rather raise taxes.

[Felis_irritable]

"The best thing to say to a room full of people is that even though we're in a tough time and a recession, you still go out to eat," Hyland said. "It's discretionary."

Yet more proof, if any was needed, that democrats don't understand economics. If it's discretionary people are more likely to stop doing it when their income goes down.

Sheesh.

Next lesson: elastic versus inelastic. Hint: it's relevant.

[smokingfrog]

I propose that all elected officials pay double the taxes of everyone else. When they are re-elected, it should go up again each time.

[NurdlyPeon]

Why bother with a meal tax? Why not just go directly to a tax on breathing? If we could just get some court to declare carbon-dioxide as a pollutant.

[darkangel82]

The election taught them nothing.

[katiekins1]

What is a meals tax exactly?

Its a tax on chewing your food per TSP. I found a loophole though, swallow whatever you are consuming *Whole*

[goldstategop]

A meals tax huh? Next thing they'll tax us for breathing. They have to nickel and dime us to death at a time when we're just barely hanging on for dear life!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus