Schwarzenegger proposes 1.5 cents sales tax increase to close budget gap

[Newsjock]

Source: San Jose Mercury News

SACRAMENTO — Reacting to a gaping $11.2 billion hole in the California state budget he signed just six weeks ago, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced a proposal to raise the state sales tax by 1.5 cent.

In addition, he proposed implementing a brand new tax on services, such as those offered by veterinary clinics, auto repair and golfing fees. He also plans to implement a tax on producers that extract oil from California ground, and increase alcohol excise taxes by five cents a drink His tax package would bring $4.7 billion new revenue. Most of the rest of the budget shortfall would come in the form of cuts to education, prisons, public safety, Medi-Cal and social services.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10916051

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This will make the total sales tax more than 10% for most of California.

[amdezurik]

1. it's AHHHHHH_nuld after all

those poor people are just "extras" to him...

[Tektonik]

2. I'd be fine with upping the sales tax, but taxing vet bills would be horrible

I'm all for taxing the hell out of golfing and booze too.

[livetohike]

6. When I lived in CA and he was first elected Gov, he said he

wanted to limit the number of days animals stayed at shelters before being put down :cry:. He said this would save money. This confirmed that he is an asshole.

[tclambert]

18. Terminators don't like dogs.

[kestrel91316]

7. If he taxes vet services, half the vet clinics in the state will probably go under.

People can barely afford our services these days anyway.

[olddad56]

16. or over --- the border to Oregon, Nevada, or Arizona.

[Fiendish Thingy]

3. He should raise the income tax and corporate taxes n/t.

[Parche]

4. isnt this what they recalled davis for>?

as arnold is doing better?

republicans are evil

[gratuitous]

8. I thought Crybaby Issa was all upset about this very thing

That's why he said it was absolutely essential to recall Gray Davis. And now here's California: Budget in big trouble, and the proposed solution is to raise taxes. Is it time for another recall, Darrell?

[Parche]

10. i despise issa

I truly despise him
he is such a whiner on waxmans committee
he makes whiner mica look like a saint

[tularetom]

5. Friggin tax and spend liberal!

[kestrel91316]

9. Ahnuld is clinically insane, and he obviously has never heard of

ONE HEALTH. There is no difference between "human health" and "animal health". The overlap is widely acknowledged by both professions. Diseases spread back and forth between humans and other animals.

If he taxes veterinary services, then I expect him to tax human healthcare THE SAME. They are equally HORRIBLE ideas. What a shit-spewing ignoramus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One Health Initiative:
http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/endorsements.php
The One Health concept is a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans and animals. The synergism achieved will advance health care for the 21st century and beyond by accelerating biomedical research discoveries, enhancing public health efficacy, expeditiously expanding the scientific knowledge base, and improving medical education and clinical care. When properly implemented, it will help protect and save untold millions of lives in our present and future generations.

One Health shall be achieved through:

1. Joint educational efforts between human medical, veterinary medical schools, and schools of public health;
2. Joint communication efforts in journals, at conferences, and via allied health networks;
3. Joint efforts in clinical care through the assessment, treatment and prevention of cross-species disease transmission;
4. Joint cross-species disease surveillance and control efforts in public health;
5. Joint efforts in better understanding of cross-species disease transmission through comparative medicine research;
6. Joint efforts in the development and evaluation of new diagnostic methods, medicines and vaccines for the prevention and control of diseases across species and;
7. Joint efforts to inform and educate political leaders and the public sector through accurate media publications.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Sodbuster]

11. One of the planks in his platform was that he was going to cut the proposed

'increase' in registration fees for cars. The fees had been 'reduced' in the 90's because of the budget
surplus we had from the Clinton years but with the understanding that if the economy started lagging,
the actual amount owed would be reinstated. This was part of the reason Davis was recalled. Th Repugs
called it a tax increase of course even though it was a tax they would have paid all along.
That cost the State 3-4 Billion dollars the year he enacted that cut. Bet he wishes he had that money now.
Go Ahnuld You are doing a heckuva job......

[MurrayDelph]

22. Maybe he can sell one of his giant prop credit cards on Ebay

He made a PR appearance breaking one of those prop cards over at Galpin Ford (one of his backers) a couple of blocks from me. Hey, Groping-fuhrer, try gluing it back together again!

Makes me hope I can hold out on buying a new car until I can move and register the car in Oregon (No sales tax, but BIG property taxes).

[Kalifornia.Kid]

12. Already 8.75% in Alameda County - 10.25% would be OUTRAGEOUS

[scorpiogirl]

28. Sure would! I'm in Alameda too. n/t

[Betsy Ross]

13. He should increase taxes on the wealthy and corporations first.

Then, only then, should he increase sales tax. I don't have any problem with increasing the tax on booze and golf, however. I don't play golf but I do have an occasional drink!

[aquart]

14. Regressive taxes. How Republican of him.

[BootinUp]

15. Pretty fuckin regressive Ahnold. nt

[blue_onyx]

17. Didn't he come out once against tax increases?

If I'm not mistaken I thought he was an anti-tax increase, no matter what, type of guy. We had a big tax battle in Michigan last year and the anti-tax Republicans dragged their feet...even shutting down the government(shut down last a few hours). Our Governor recommended a service tax which I think would've been a good fix. She picked a service tax because she felt it was the most progressive option available. The poorer one is, the less likely they are to use many services (movies, golfing, lawn care, etc). I think a service tax would've been better than an increase in our flat income tax, which is what happened.

The sales tax would be 10%? That is pretty high. Well, sometimes a tax increase in the least bad option. I don't know much about what has been going on in California but at least Gov. Schwarzenegger realizes that there may need to be a tax increase. Most Republicans get blinded by their anti-tax ideology that they don't look at the situation with an open mind in order to find the best solution

[bemildred]

19. Tax the rich, go where all the money is. nt

[Semi_subversive]

20. And I am so looking forward to being furloughed one day each

month. Just what I need at this time is to lose $300+ when we're almost not making it. Between taking care of my wife's 91 yo mom, trying tohelp my son with college tuition and planning for my daughter's college, there's nothing left. And now you want to take it away alnog with two paid holidays you spineless motherfucker! Let's see if our legislators have a spine. And lucky me, I'm not even represented.

[Red State Prisoner]

21. But...but...but

I thought only Democrats raised taxes? ;)

[David Zephyr]

23. The sales tax is already approaching 10%. This hurts working people and the poor the most.

What a stupid fucking idea this is.

Rich people can go to Nevada and Arizona to buy their big screens and large purchases. How does a poor person who relies on public transportation get around sales tax?

It's a stupid fucking idea and not progressive at all.

[David__77]

24. NO! NO! NO! NO!

This is regressive! Tax on ability to pay! Boost the income tax instead!!! I will be ever so pissed if the Democrats go along with this!

[kestrel91316]

25. Crossposting my Emergency Action Request from Pets forum and CA forum:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=243&topic_id=36869&mesg_id=36869

Taxation of veterinary services is INSANE and poses a serious threat to public health. Please help spread the word!!!

[CountAllVotes]

26. thanks for nothing gropenfreak

You already denied to pay my refund for the homeowner's insurance that I file for every year. It has been not funded this year. Many poor people rely on this to pay their property taxes every year!

And now you want more? NO WAY you freak!

:mad:

:dem: :kick:

[natrat]

27. fuck that---soak the ultra rich with income tax

[shanti]

29. that's not all he's proposing!

he wants to stick it to the state workers YET AGAIN! it won't be soon enough before that SOB is out of our state! :mad: :grr:

[hadrons]

30. Very telling quote from AP article ....

The governor often has characterized California's budget problems as being caused by runaway spending, rather than a lack of tax revenue, but he said Thursday that the severe financial crisis has flipped that.

"It is now a revenue problem rather than a spending problem," Schwarzenegger said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081106/ap_on_bi_ge/california_budget

"It is now a revenue problem rather than a spending problem," Schwarzenegger said.
"It is now a revenue problem rather than a spending problem," Schwarzenegger said.
"It is now a revenue problem rather than a spending problem," Schwarzenegger said.
"It is now a revenue problem rather than a spending problem," Schwarzenegger said.

After the election is over Conan tell us