Today is a good day to be a Republican. Republicans have taken over control of the House of Representatives. Hopefully, they have learned a lesson from the massacre of 2008. The "Tea Party" movement had a so-so night, but most of the Republicans took notice of them anyway. The most likely Speaker of the House mentioned smaller government, lower taxes, personal responsibility. Sounds like a good plan. I hope they stick to it.
Today is a good day to be a Democrat. They held onto the Senate (and the Presidency, which was not up for grabs). They don't have a filibuster proof majority any longer, but the Majority leader won his race, and the hard-core leftists are still with us. (It was mostly the moderates that got creamed last night.) So, we'll have to see if the Democrats in the Senate can work with the Republicans in the House to get work done in Washington D.C.
Today isn't a good day to be a Libertarian, at least not locally. The "majority" (actually about 1/6th of registered voters) in San Angelo decided that private property rights just aren't that important anymore. The most restrictive smoking ban in the state will begin on January 1st right here in Monterey East.
To make it worse, the 1/2 cent sales tax has now been made permanent. Looking into my crystal ball, I see a rise in the 1/2 cent tax to 3/4 cents in a couple of years, later to be replaced with the 1 cent sales tax. The only way they had a chance to raise the limit was to make it permanent first.
On the bright side, my children and grandchildren won't have to worry about paying the extra taxes. Neither one can find a decent job here in town, even with the economic slush fund (funded by the 1/2 cent sales tax, no?). They'll move on to greener pastures, where perhaps, just perhaps, they can open a business without "good ole boys" getting into their business.
"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that justifies it." -- Frederic Bastiat
SnS
Might want to actually research the 1/2 cent sales tax, what it can be used for and how high it can go. It is currently at the statutory maximum, as it has been from the beginning. It can't go any higher without major changes by the state legislature. There are also limits on the projects it can be used for. It's not just an addition to the general fund.
ReplyDeleteYou know I'm no fan of the sales tax, or the smoking ban that was passed but do your homework. I expected better of you when you took over this blog.
I didn't say it went to the general fund. I said it was a "economic slush fund." One of the projects is the economic development corporation/council/group or whatever it's called, right? Those are the guys that use tax money that could be going for infrastructure to entice new businesses to San Angelo? I'd say we're not getting our money's worth.
ReplyDeleteBut, I've been wrong before.
SnS