[Vision2020] ID taxes

[Mark Solomon]

Doug,

I too question the personal property tax and grumble as I pay it 
annually on the equipment I use in my own business. But until they 
eliminate the many sales tax exemptions on much of the same 
equipment, or to put it another way, the sales tax exemptions on 
equipment for businesses with the right lobbyist connections, we're 
stuck with it.

The worst part of all that is the local governments who should be 
receiving the benefit of the local sales tax income from those 
exempted sales are then stuck by the Legislature with being forced to 
collect it via personal property taxes. It stinks.

Note the word "generally" in my original post re user-based taxes (or 
fees as some like to call them). Not all governmental services lend 
themselves to such an approach (take paying legislator's salaries as 
an example). That's why it's called the General Fund at the state, 
county and city budgeting levels.

I'm a strong believer that a person appreciates a governmental 
service more if one has contributed to paying for it. It's called 
participatory government. I also believe that in the ideal world 
without tax attorneys and regulatory loopholes the progressive income 
tax is the fairest tax as it's based on the ability to pay not the 
need to provide food, clothing and shelter for one's family.

Mark

At 12:47 PM -0500 11/17/06, heirdoug at netscape.net wrote:
>Mark,
>
>Which taxes do you think are ok for public services? How about the 
>personal property usage tax? That wonderful tax on restaurant 
>equipment each year by the county for my being able to use the 
>equipment.
>
>Do you think this tax is ok?
>
>And could you define "user-based". If one does not "use" should one be taxed?
>
>Do you think that only the rich should be taxed and not the poor?
>
>Doug!
>
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>While I generally support user-based taxation schemes, the proposal
>below adds insult to the injury of the Risch/GOP Idaho tax-the-poor
>taxation "reform". The sales tax is the most regressive tax. Given
>the sales tax loopholes already in place for ag and timber, once
>again the Idaho GOP will be disproportionately sticking it to those
>who can least afford it. All so we can build a highway from Boise to
>Dirk's retirement home, among other dubious road projects.
>
>Mark S.
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