newsobserver.com projects - Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike - Comments

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

bniolet — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:37:13 -0400

We've mostly devolved into name calling. I've shut off comments on this post. BN

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

JPQuick — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:27:08 -0400

Bev evidently believes that the only way to break the deadlock in the General Assembly is to break the back of North Carolina's economy and tighten the noose she has placed around the neck of the working poor.

The content of Bev's plan represents machine politics at its finest.

Bev generously proposes to return $90 million to the electorate through small reductions in state income tax, in return for over $1 billion in new state sales taxes that every family in North Carolina will have to pay through 2011.

Bev floats the idea of a corporate income tax reduction to help the state economy during the current recession, but neglects to mention that the corporate tax reduction will not actually take effect until 2011! Bev's new $91 million tax on courier services more than offsets Bev's meager $52 million corporate income tax "reduction" in any event.

Keep your hand on your wallet if you ever visit Bev at the governor's mansion.

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

PackMan97 — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:07:04 -0400

Fabulous! 10%+ unemployment and Perdue wants to make it harder on folks!

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

beerman_news — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:00:54 -0400

With regard to the amount of the sales tax- the present state sales tax rate is 4.25%, BUT most counties add a local tax of 2.5%, for a total sales tax of 6.75%. Adding "just a penny" amounts to a heck of a lot more than "spare change", making the new sales tax rate almost 8%!

I clearly remember paying a total sales tax of 4% in my lifetime. This is a 2X INCREASE! Has the value of the services I'm receiving from the government doubled? I think not. This is a governmental money grab, people, and it needs to be stopped!

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

dustbin_yall — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:58:42 -0400

I guess there was a time when there wasn't a whole lot of scrutiny as to what was done with our tax dollars, however it is becoming abundantly clear the politicians aren't doing a very good job with where it's spent, at least not for the benefit of the taxpayer. Both at a state and federal level we need more visibility into the allocations (N&O, where the heck are you?). I think we've been so complacent those that would take advantage have done so without anything standing in their way. They all get elected and take their turn at the tax coffers as if it were their feeding trough. Until we start making noise, it'll just keep on happening, and it seems to be more abusive and blatent as time goes on.

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

robdarich — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:49:07 -0400

If any politicians act like they're concerned, they're faking it, it's not their money. They've got gigabucks to get reelected - and in NC, that's worth more than representing ever was (representatives lost long ago, now we're stuck with the debris politicians that are easily molded by their puppet masters.)

NC's already lost and we can walk into the losers locker room saying whatever we want because the side that has our money doesn't give a flying flip about you, or your problems. Campaign contributors - and their problems matter, not yours.

Now shut your traps and act like the good little spineless worms (that they know we are) and get ready for the next increase. And don't forget to act surprised when the next thing hits.

Oddly, Apple, who isn't in NC, gets a huge NC tax deduction - while citizens who live in NC, get a huge tax increase. Get it?

Also don't hate Purdue, hate the way she acts. I'd hate her if I respected her, so I can honestly say I don't hate her.

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

thnkb4uspk — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:19:45 -0400

FYI: I voted for her and definitely don't hate her.

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

greenswamp — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:51:49 -0400

This topic has just developed into hatred for the Governor. Talking about her looks and mental capacity just reveals the real motivation here. This is a good proposal for the times we're in. She is the first governor in a long while who has actually made cuts and has been criticized for that as well. I think we're done here. I know I am.

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

thnkb4uspk — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:41:48 -0400

OK...I digress, but what is up with her left eye? It won't blink with the right eye. Has she had work done/a mini-stroke/too much Botox???? It worries me because she (besides this new tax idea) seems delayed when she speaks.

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

ImpartiallyObservant — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:38:01 -0400

To your point, myrtoge... Of course I don't believe state government never wastes money, or is 100% efficient. But this year's annual budget approval process isn't the place to pursue the specific program cuts and increased efficiencies you (and all of us) seek. The pols would never get out of Raleigh, and we'd be paying their per diems all summer!!

The more reasoned approach will be to bite the bullet now and accept these stop-gap measures, however painful (or, let's be honest, slightly painful) they might be. The trains need to keep running. [That's a metaphor folks... Resist the urge to post a comment criticizing me for advocating more spending on high-speed rail!]

Then, in the next election cycle, vote out any candidates who advocate continuing these "temporary" tax increases. [That's how to handle the concerns being expressed here about "no tax being temporary".] And vote in candidates who vow to change the budget/spending/oversight process to allow the more careful, program-by-program, employee-by-employee review that we all know is necessary.

It's simply too late, and the revenue shortfall is too deep, for us to put our heads in the sand and think we can get through this without the state collecting more revenue from us. You anti-taxers can't just wish this away. And as I've said before, posting complaints here without offering specific, realistic and timely alternatives is just wasting everyone's time.

Finally, I'm no "press lackey". And I don't work for state government. I'm just an average taxpayer in the 30% bracket who's realistic enough to know we're in a short-term crisis that's gonna require me paying more state taxes. Naturally I want government to be more efficient, but bloviating about any/all tax increases being unreasonable isn't part of the solution, it's part of the problem.

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

domewatcher — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:03:56 -0400

It's sad. But there is a campaign debt owed to the state employees and the teachers which must be paid! The shame is that we must pay it.

So what we need to do is to form a union for us left behind folks, the ignorant people. Maybe the Ignorant People Union (IPU). We will pay dues and hire some slick lobbyists. And then we will be a force to be reckoned with! Print up some shirts and hats and do some marches and some big talk. Make up some banners and lists of demands.

However, after these tax increases we can't afford to pay dues. So no union, no lobbyists and no voice. It's sad.

Are union dues taxed? No matter.....can't hardly afford the light bill.

Power to those left behind! Join the IPU and be free! We want more! Take out the water coolers and serve us FIJI water!

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

myrtoge — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:43:41 -0400

To Tommyboy.... Yeah, just up the sin taxes, that makes perfect sense. Let's see... $1 more tax on cigs and people cut back, resulting in little to no revenue increase to the state. Increase tax on alcohol and people cut back, resulting in little to no revenue increase to the state. Tax plastic shopping bags and and people stop using them, resulting in little to no revenue increase to the state. See a pattern here?

To ImpartiallyObservant, are you saying that you think there is no waste in government, that all their processes are perfect, that there is no politics being played that cost us dearly? You really must get those ears checked, Bev and the Raleigh Pol's have you following the Pied Piper's tune. Those of us that are realistic about the situation expect the government to look for this waste and get it out of the system. Just look at some of the N&O articles lately showing massive waste in government ($635M in waste on mental health initiatives). Now, are you sure that there are no good ideas there? Want some specifics? Stop building all new roads. Stop paying for any new infrastructure (State buildings, give aways to entice business, etc.) I'm sure there are many, many more ideas to be had. Just like our personal budgets, we need to think about what we can afford to do on our income, not just go out and squeeze some more from the taxpayers. That's incredibly poor fiscal management.

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

fireman32 — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:02:37 -0400

Buckle up folks this is a done deal. Someone mentioned New York and California as examples of where North Carolina is headed. What has happened in those states, which are virtually economic wastelands, is highly instructive. The only way to stop this downward spiral is to cut spending, not hold spending to "moderate increases" etc, but actually reducing outlays of money. Politicians are typically incapable of doing this since it tends to make them unpopular with vocal constituencies and jeopardizes their reelection to office.

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

babyboomer47 — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:58:10 -0400

Dumplin' just cannot wait to get her hands on more money. There is no such thing as a "temporary" tax. This tax increase will always be needed plus more. Dumplin' will tax cosmetic surgeries because she has already had her "head-to-toe" body makeover. I know Marc and Tony are so very proud of their Dumplin'.

Re: Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

beerman_news — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:56:59 -0400

I wouldn't mind a 1 cent tax increase at all. But wait- could this be one PERcent? Like of all goods sold in the state? That's a different matter.

It seems to me that the cost of government services should scale with the number of people using them, and therefore the number of people paying taxes. The RATE should remain fixed. Why is a greater and greater percentage of our earnings going to fund the government, in the form of higher rates and new taxes?

Something is fundamentally wrong with this system!

Perdue wants 1-cent sales tax hike

markjohnson — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:06:29 -0400

Gov. Beverly Perdue told legislative leaders Tuesday she wants a 1-cent sales tax increase and a total tax hike package of $1.6 billion to balance the budget.

Perdue, a Democrat, met with lawmakers at the Executive Mansion and gave them a list of tax and other revenue options that she would like to see passed. It was an effort to help break the impasse between Democratic Senate and House leaders over what taxes to increase and how much.

Highlights of Perdue's wishlist, provided to Dome, include: an "emergency" 1-cent increase in the sales tax that would expire in October 2010, an emergency income tax surcharge on single taxpayers who earn more than $500,000 and married couples filing jointly making more than $1 million.

Perdue wants a 50-cent-per-pack increase in cigarette taxes, down from the $1-per-pack she requested in March, plus 2-cents-per-can more on beer and a 2 percent increase on alcohol.

The list included several tax increases that would take effect in the fall of next year, including taxes on some services (warranties, installations, repairs) and a tax increase on "luxury services" such as cosmetic surgery, limousines and chartered flights.

Update: Perdue released her letter and tax proposal.

Document(s):
tax_proposal.doc