[Vision2020] raising taxes (and fees) in a recession

[bear at moscow.com]

Judy,

I have a feeling that looking at the list you provided, things are only
going to get worse.
Take a look at Idaho, and the movers and shakers that have the ear of
government, Micron being one of the big "screwers" of the "screwees" ( the
tax payers). Do you seriously think that even with Micron moving jobs to
Virginia that anything will be done to them?

And how can we expect, let alone demand budget changes in either Boise or
Washington when the local government isn't willing to either change or be
open to the public?

Moscow and Latah County have bent over backwards over the past 100 years
or so for the University, and what is the University and the Board of
Regents response in time of economic peril? As the number one employer,
they CUT wages of the local tax payers! But as they do that, they cut a
sweet heart  for wages for the incoming president! Maybe it's time for the
Board of Regents not to be appointed, but ELECTED and answerable to the
people.The old joke on the Washington side of the border is that Pullman
got WSU and Walla Walla got the state prison because Walla Walla got first
choice!

And it's time to look at the services that are provided to the University
by the city and start raising the rates accordingly . Maybe it's time for
the University, since they clearly have enough money to offer premium
wages to a new president to provide their own fire  and police services?

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> Visionaries,
> The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has just released a paper
> looking
> at which states have raised taxes (and fees) during this recession to help
> balance their budgets.  I have cut and pasted an excerpt below.  A couple
> of
> things that caught my eye were that Wisconsin closed some tax exemptions
> and
> broadened the sales tax base, things Idaho is sorely in need of doing, and
> that Virginia increased its corporate income taxes. Several years ago
> Micron, which has been a major cause of job losses in Idaho, opted to
> build
> a plant in Virginia rather than to expand in Idaho.  At the time Micron
> said
> it was because Virginia's education systems were stellar, but stellar
> education systems cost money.
> I imagine this paper will be revised after more of the states finish their
> legislative sessions, and then Idaho will be included as having raised
> some new revenue because vehicle fees and a couple of other things were
raised
> a little in the going-home transportation package.
> Judy Brown

>>From "Tax Measures Help Balance State Budgets" released today by the
>> Center
> on Budget and Policy Priorities
> Tax Increases in the Current Recession
> State tax increases began with the recession's onset in late 2007, in
> order  to preserve education, healthcare, and other services in the face of
> flattening or declining revenues. At least 10 states enacted tax and
> revenue measures in late 2007 or 2008. These included major revenue
packages in
> Maryland, Michigan, and New York, and somewhat narrower measures in
> Alabama, California, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
and Rhode
> Island.
> As the recession has lengthened and budget shortfalls deepened, states
> have increasingly turned to raising taxes as part of the mix of
responses. So
> far this year, 16 states have enacted tax increases, and (as of May 5)
another
> 17 are considering such measures. (See Figure 1.)

> Enacted Tax Increases In 2009
> Major tax increases enacted to date include those in California, New York,
> and Wisconsin.
>
> *	Faced with a $13.8 billion shortfall in the coming fiscal year, New
> York adopted a budget that includes both cuts in services and tax
> increases.
> The revenue increases included two new temporary income tax rates levied
> on
> the highest-income filers.
>
> New York also placed limits on itemized state income tax deductions for
> taxpayers making over $1 million, reduced a state-funded credit on New
> York
> City's personal income tax, eliminated a property tax rebate, and expanded
> sales tax collections on Internet purchases.
> *	Similarly, California's budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes
> temporary tax increases as well as budget cuts. The package includes a one
> percentage point increase in the state sales tax; a 0.25 percentage point
> increase in state income tax rates; a reduction in a tax credit for
> dependents; and raising the Vehicle License Fee (a tax on the value of
> cars
> and trucks) to 1.15 percent from 0.65 percent.[1]
> <http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=2815#_ftn1>  In total, tax
> increases will raise about $12.5 billion in new revenues through June 30,
> 2010.
> *	Wisconsin enacted a number of measures to raise new revenue by
> broadening what is covered by the state's sales and corporate income
> taxes.
> Measures affecting the sales tax include: ending the exemption for digital
> downloads; altering the method of taxing prewritten computer software; and
> entering into the multi-state Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement
> (SSUTA) - a compact that simplifies sales tax collections for
> participating
> businesses. Additionally, state officials recently enacted new hospital
> assessment fees, which are expected to raise about $310 million in fiscal
> year 2010. A measure known as "combined reporting" that expands the
> corporate income tax base to tax in-state and multi-state corporations
> more equivalently was also enacted.
> *	Hawaii increased income tax rates for the highest-income taxpayers.
> The new top rate is 11 percent and applies to taxable income over $400,000
> for married couples and $200,000 for single taxpayers; it is effective for
> tax years 2009 through 2015. Hawaii also increased hotel taxes, real
> estate
> transfer taxes, and tobacco taxes.
> *	Virginia raised revenues by restructuring an income tax credit and
> taxing some investment income of corporations.
> *	Colorado's governor signed legislation increasing vehicle fees and
> hospital fees, and reducing the rate at which the state reimburses
> retailers
> for collecting sales taxes.
> *	Arkansas, Kentucky, Rhode Island, and Wyoming approved increased
> excise taxes on alcohol products, tobacco products, or both.
> *	Various other taxes or fees were increased in Georgia, Iowa,
> Maryland, Nevada, South Dakota, and Utah.
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