This Page

has been moved to new address

Words Mean Everything: FEES vs. TAXES

Sorry for inconvenience...

Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service
Bloviating Zeppelin: Words Mean Everything: FEES vs. TAXES

Bloviating Zeppelin

(in-ep-toc'-ra-cy) - a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Words Mean Everything: FEES vs. TAXES


The Demorats in Fornicalia are making, this week, what is termed an "end run" around everyone in the state, regarding taxation. It is no secret that Fornicalia is literally billions and billions of dollars in debt:

Treasurer Bill Lockyer, the board chairman, had warned the Legislature last week that the unprecedented halt in funding would be necessary if lawmakers did not immediately address a $14 billion deficit in the fiscal year that ends in June. The hole is forecast to grow to $42 billion over the next 18 months.

I'll make it brief and simple: what the Republicans forecasted in 2007 has now become reality in Fornicalia. From last year's Republican Caucus Briefing Report:

No taxation without representation has been a firm principle in our nation’s history since its inception. This principle prohibits government officials from adopting taxes without the approval of those who will be taxed. Furthering this policy, the California State Constitution requires state taxes to be approved by two-thirds of the elected members of the Legislature, and local taxes be approved by a direct vote of the people. However, because these vote counts are often difficult to meet, many newly adopted assessments have been passed off as “fees” rather than taxes to avoid the two-thirds approval requirements.

A package of bills passed both Fornicalia houses this week with no Republican support at all. If it can happen here, it can happen in your state. And, as Hugh Hewitt says, it is nothing but lawlessness.

Dec. 11 (Bloomberg) -- California’s budget deficit will reach $41.8 billion over the next 19 months, a record shortfall forcing officials to look for ways to pay bills as they brace for the state to run out of cash.

When in doubt, improvise with bullshit, smoke, mirrors, lies, half-truths and outright manipulation. With this in mind Fornicalia Demorats passed a package of bills which removed the horrendous word TAX and instead substituted the word FEE.

According to them, it made all the difference in the world, allowing them to circumvent the Fornicalia Constitutionally-required 2/3rds vote to pass a TAX.

Read the difference:

Taxes Versus Fees
In general, a tax is a mandatory financial charge or other levy imposed on an individual or a legal entity by a government agency. In other words, a tax is not a voluntary payment or donation, but an enforced assessment. In contrast, a fee is a charge paid in remuneration for services directly received by the fee payor.

Based on these definitions, the distinction between the two should not be as complicated as some would make it. Essentially, if a government assessment is compulsory and the payer does not derive a direct benefit or service from that assessment, it is a tax. However, some tax-and-spend lawmakers have attempted to blur the lines. Why? To make it easier for politicians to fund programs that, if presented to the people as a tax, would not pass muster.


You want taxes? How about this (California Dems Push Billions in Higher 'Fees' to Skirt Law):

The proposal they made Wednesday would eliminate an 18-cent-a-gallon excise tax on gas and a fluctuating sales tax on gas, replacing them with a 39-cent-per-gallon fee. Democrats also were seeking to raise the state sales tax by 3/4 of a cent, tax oil produced in California, add a 2.5 percent surcharge on state income taxes and force independent contractors to pay taxes up front.


Our only hope at this point: Governor Schwarzenegger refused to sign this series of bills.

Today.

And tomorrow?

Words mean everything. Why have Conservatives refused to grant "marriages," for example (despite that, in Fornicalia, gays can already have Civil Unions which grant every right to their signators as those affixed to marriages -- such as benefits, hospital visits, etc.), to gays? Because words mean everything. A "marriage" denotes a union between one man and one woman. Plain and simple. A tax is a tax -- and in Fornicalia requires 2/3rds passage.

Unless you call it something else.

This is a perfect example. Words mean everything.

"Tax."

"Fee."

These are TAXES.

BZ

9 Comments:

Blogger Rivka said...

When will the left get it? As california goes into the financial sea of oblivion they will still think taxing or fees is the answer. Sickening.

BZ-you should move here. Kansas isn't too bad! Of course we have to vote out Sebelius..;)

Sat Dec 20, 06:03:00 AM PST  
Blogger Bloviating Zeppelin said...

Tax and spend, tax and spend. And in many ways the Republicans have been just as bad; Bush and many others spent like crazy, just not so many taxes. But spending for the past 8 years? Irresponsible. And now bailing out the Big 3 and other businesses? Equally irresponsible.

BZ

Sat Dec 20, 09:25:00 AM PST  
Blogger shoprat said...

The GOP may not be all that it's supposed to be, but it is much preferable to the Demonicrats.

Sat Dec 20, 09:48:00 AM PST  
Blogger Bloviating Zeppelin said...

Shoprat: the Demorats will do all within their power, and then some, to cheat, remold, restructure, in order to get their way when history has proven, again and again, that one can never tax and spend OUT of a bad economy. And throwing away MORE taxpayer money? Heinous.

BZ

Sat Dec 20, 11:11:00 AM PST  
Blogger A Jacksonian said...

Just wait until there is a 'fee' to get into a government building and a 'fee' you pay to firemen showing up to put out a fire... soon we will be back in Roman times where justice was only yours if you paid someone to enforce it... because, you know, 'fees' are so much better than 'taxes'.

Sat Dec 20, 01:48:00 PM PST  
Blogger shoprat said...

Makes me think of the Star Trek Deep Space 9 episode where they visited the Ferengi homeworld. They had a pay a fee to use the elevator, pay a fee to use a chair in the lobby.

AH!

The Ferengi evolved from Democrats and their robber-baron Capitalism is just a front.

Sat Dec 20, 02:11:00 PM PST  
Blogger TexasFred said...

Bloviating Zeppelin said...
Tax and spend, tax and spend. And in many ways the Republicans have been just as bad;
*******************
My God man!! Are you DAFT??

Are you trying to insult the Fairy God Mother of the Internet??

If you incur the wrath you will suffer the wrath...

You'll be labeled a... Well, you know the bullshit story, and WTF, it makes you blog grow when the old bat talks bad about you... LMAO..

Sat Dec 20, 03:52:00 PM PST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I was not planning to visit anyone. I am not in the mood for one, second that mood is because today is the 13th anniversary of my son who was Autistic - his death, which I put up on my blog. I do not even leave the house on the 22nd of December and today is the first time I sent my second Autistic child to school on the 22nd out of fear it would happen to him too.

But I wanted you to know I am not so selfish as to not want to wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Mon Dec 22, 09:06:00 AM PST  
Blogger MathewK said...

It's not surprising that it's the democrats who are behind all this. If not for ignorance, apathy and laziness, they'd be long turfed into the dustbin of history.

Mon Dec 22, 07:22:00 PM PST  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home