When their snouts hit the bottom of the trough, politicians have to develop new money flows so that they can survive a little longer. You only have to look as far as the Empire State to realise that their food is getting short, especially as they are facing a $14bn deficit. Felix Ortiz has put forward a bill that would see patrons of strip clubs or topless bars charged $10 every time they visit them. His reasoning behind this particular tax is that it will raise $500m for the, “ victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual abuse and child prostitution." And it has nothing to do with the massive hole in the NY State’s budget.
Even Governor Paterson has got in on the idea of taxing all that moves. His pronouncements have included the following:
...a sales tax on numerous items including digital music and movie downloads; satellite television and radio; cable television; entertainment venues such as theaters, race tracks, bowling alleys, swim clubs, golf clubs, movies, sporting events, and amusement parks. Other proposed taxes included an 18 percent "fat tax" on soda, and he wanted to tax the full price of an item when a coupon is used. Paterson was also going to eliminate the no-tax rule on clothing under $110..
All of which are of course to change the bad behaviour of those who do not know what’s good for them! Government has seriously crossed the line. When times are hard for government it undoubtedly means they will be worse for the citizens; even though taxing them further will only hinder any move towards growth. It would be better if we could just let government go bust, leaving this abject attempt at democracy to disappear quietly into the night.
