Since I never vote for the lesser of two evils, I never vote for individuals. However, I do vote against tax increases if I am given the chance.
I pointed out last year that the voters in my county (Escambia) in Florida foolishly voted to extend a 1 percent local option sales tax for another ten years, thus retaining our sales tax rate of 7.5 percent (one of the highest in Florida).
Now, however, I am happy to report that a special referendum held on June 26 to decide on an additional half-cent surtax, which would bring our sales tax rate to 8 percent, was rejected by the voters. This additional tax was supposed to “fund a basic managed health care program for delivery of basic health services to qualified, uninsured residents and to offset the County’s required payments for Medicaid or other public programs.” In other words, more socialized medicine.
Did my vote count? Perhaps not. But it felt good to vote against a tax increase. And this vote was clearly a case of good (no tax increase) versus evil (tax increase) instead of evil (Democrat) versus evil (Republican).
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Consider yourself lucky. Here in upstate NY the taxes keep going up, especially property taxes.
Just a few weeks ago the local government schools budget was up for a vote, something like 93 million dollars. It, surprisingly failed. Then the school board “worked hard” to “update” the budget to conform to the voters wishes.
The result? They were able to cut about 250k from the 93 million. Sadly, something tells me that this time it will pass.
Indeed consider yourself lucky. The State of Wisconsin Senate has just passed a Univeral Health Care plan to the tune of $15.2 Billion, supposedly styled like Canada’s.
Illinois here I come…..
For a while?
It’s especially interesting to see groups try to shoehaorn their special-interest tax increases through. Lawrence, I live in Santa Rosa county, but if I’m not mistaken, there was also a referendum for a 1/2% sales tax “for the children” (i.e. “schools”). That, inspite of the fact that our schools are already well funded and there is ample monies to build the necessary additions.
To further illustrate the absurdity of raising taxes, Escambia folks are moving to Santa Rosa county in droves to escape high property (and other) taxes, even though it reduces their quality of life via long daily commutes to thier place of employment. People will jump through flaming hoops to “put it to the man,” apparently. The flip side of that is the strain on Santa Rosa’s infrastructure, which will undoubtedly require increases in taxes in the coming decade.
Over here in Seattle taxes seem to always go up. People around here seem to think it is there duty to pay more taxes if the government says it will be used to help some group of people. I don’t know how to convince some people that the government taking our money will not help us.
And in Washington State if the people vote down a stadium the Legislature buys it, anyway.
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