"The Tax Man: You just docked?
Popeye: I has.
The Tax Man: Ah ha, let's see here, that'll be 25¢ docking tax.
Popeye: What for?
The Tax Man: Where's your sea craft?
Popeye: It ain't no sea craft, it's me dinghy and it's under the wharf.
The Tax Man: Ah ha. ahh-ha. This your goods?
Popeye: They is.
The Tax Man: Yeah. You're new in town right?
Popeye: If you call this a town, yes.
The Tax Man: Well, first of all, there's 17¢ new-in-town tax, and there's 45¢ rowboat-under-the-wharf tax, and one dollar leaving-your-junk-lying-around-the-wharf tax, so all together, you owe the Commodore $1.87.
Popeye: Uh, who's this Commodore?
The Tax Man: Is that the nature of question? There's a nickel question tax."
Does that sound a lot like our federal and state tax departments? My new net pay after weekly taxes.
Well consider these recent tidbits from a mostly Democrat-led Congress and State Legislatures.
Federal tobacco taxes went through the roof April 1, basically from 39 cents a pack to $1.01. Many states are up to $2 a pack, with New York taxing $2.76 per pack. A friend of mine now says packs here in Connecticut are up to $7 retail. A newspaper article from a small town in New York says it's over $8, and I'm told it's $9 in New York City.
The federal tax on cigarette-sized cigars went from 4 cents to the $1.01. increasing the retail price accordingly.
According to Reuters, "State and local lawmakers are pushing taxes on booze, drugs, strip clubs and just about everything under the sun...New York's resident grinch, Gov. David Paterson, tried suggesting a kind of omnibus fun-busting budget that would have taxed New Yorkers for skiing, golfing, camping, being fat, being skinny, going to the movies, going to plays, wearing clothing, going to strip clubs and having more than six fingers or toes. The governor, who is up for re-election next year, came to his senses about three weeks ago and renounced the budget, perhaps when an adviser noted that political contributions aren't tax-deductible.
"Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty has proposed a slew of new taxes...to meet his city's massive deficit. His first target: budget-busting street lights, which Washingtonians will now fund with an extra $51 monthly tax.
Bloomberg news noted that "President Barack Obama is putting former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker in charge of a tax-code review aimed at closing loopholes, streamlining the law and generating revenue, budget Director Peter Orszag said."
Breitbart reports that "President Barack Obama is defending a budget idea that would reduce the tax deduction that wealthier families can take when they make charitable donations...President Obama's recommended reduction in the tax deduction for charitable giving reflects his fundamental belief that only the government can or should help the poor. He wants to keep the impoverished directly dependent on the government -- and the Democratic Party -- for their daily bread."
Again, Bloomberg reports that "the U.S. Senate rejected a proposal by President Barack Obama to finance an overhaul of the nation’s health-care system by limiting the ability of the well-to-do to take tax deductions for charitable contributions."
It's also been reported that the White House said it would launch a search for new tax revenues, as Congressional leaders moved to scale back proposed spending increases and tax cuts in President Barack Obama's ambitious budget.
Now, all you readers who believed in hope and change can enthusiastically start forking over your money to the Obama-ites. The above aren't the only cases of new taxes or tax increases.
It all makes one wonder how long it'll be before the taxes exceed our incomes. Maybe Sweet Haven with all the comic characters wouldn't be such a bad place after all.
