Opinion: Stop imposing ‘fees’ that are really taxes
By Juri McCorkle
State and local politicians are using a loophole in the law to raise taxes by disguising them as “fees” – circumventing constitutional requirements for passing taxes on goods like food, gas, beverages, cell phones and even emergency services. These hidden taxes add billions of dollars in higher costs that consumers, taxpayers and small businesses pay every day.
Proposition 26 would close this loophole. It would protect taxpayers against efforts by local politicians and the state Legislature to increase taxes by disguising them as fees. Prop. 26 would require tax-like fees to be treated like taxes, requiring voter approval for local fees and a two-thirds vote of the Legislature for state fees.
Under Prop. 26, legitimate fees – those that cover the cost of a service – can still be passed with a majority vote of the Legislature or be approved by local officials. Fees for things like driver’s or fishing licenses or penalties for violating the law would still be considered fees under Prop. 26.
Juri McCorkle is an owner of the Dell’uva Restaurant in San Francisco.
Lets face it…we are technically a socialist society. If you add up all the taxes and fees we pay out, it is over 50%. Maybe we don’t need government to provide all these services?
Care4community– You are right on but I think you’ve underestimated the percentage. Start looking at your utility bills (gas, electric, phone, etc.) to see the FEES you pay on top of your usage. If if looks like a tax and smells like a tax it is a tax.
Our citizens (government workers/ grant recipients) are the ones in some cases that are guilty of milking the system, and using way more money than is required to get the job done. It’s a hard habit to break, if we can break it. Everyone wants their piece, and doesn’t want to give up what they feel entitled to.
If we are “basically a socialist society” why is there such a large gap between the rich and the poor, and why is it increasing?
Can you please explain that?
Oh, and didn’t you see how the ‘Thank Goodness soon to be retired’ Councilwoman Kathay Lovell boasted how she was so proud about generating a fee/revenue generating stream for “public safety”? (That friends/relatives will benefit from!)
It is amazing that they (politicians) just don’t get that this money comes from hard-working citizens who now have less money to get by on. Plus then, there’s the fact that there is less money for the private sector to grow and create jobs because of these fees/revenue streams that feed the bureaucratic trough, you wonder why they don’t understand the public outrage that exists! After looking up “Bush League”, they need to look up the word “obtuse”!
Socialist Society ???? Do some research on “S” corporations and Pass Through Partnerships.
Wanna bet that Doctor Rand Paul and Doctor Pastor Senator Tom Coburn have “S” or pass through partnerships.They pay no taxes,except in the case of the Coburn Senators pay.
Funny thing both hate Medicare but both accept Medicare patients.