Enough is enough
Peter Hoagland
2008-07-22 16:54:29
Enough is enoughJust last fall, Fauquier’s supervisors ran for election (or re-election) promising fiscal restraint and to keep taxes as low as possible.
What did we get? An 18.6 percent increase on our real estate tax with promises of more to come. And now a proposal for a four percent food and beverage tax. If this is fiscal restraint, I would hate to see what their version of liberal tax and spending would look like.
This new tax would not just cover meals in a restaurant. We would also get whacked at lunchrooms, cafeterias, coffee shops, cafes, taverns, delis, pushcarts and hot dog stands. It would even include prepared food at supermarkets and convenience stores. It seems our current board of supervisors considers eating a luxury.
Personally, I think as a society we are over-taxed, with government increasingly reaching into our wallets.
Some might say this is a bad year to propose such a tax, what with a housing depression, soaring food, energy and insurance costs, flat or shrinking salaries, and, oh, did I mention the 18.6 percent real estate tax increase our supervisors laid on us?
While this is a bad year, the fact is that treating taxpayers like a bottomless ATM machine is simply a bad idea and bad politics.
The supervisors have said that this proposal will be a tough sell and that most food and beverage taxes are voted down. Let’s not disappoint them.
Send a message to our board of supervisors that enough is enough. Cut spending and get your hands out of our pockets.
Peter Hoagland
Warrenton