PA. Repubs Trying to Tax Food, Clothing, Shoes and Haircuts

One of the hallmarks of the PA. taxation system has been that the State 6% sales does not tax food, clothing or shoes. Newspapers are also exempt from sales tax. A large group of Republican leaders in the Legislature are seeking THIS WEEK, with little public debate, to completely change the state tax system. To eliminate the property tax, they are pushing for a vote to extend the sales tax to everything - including food, clothing, shoes, haircuts, and all services.

Of course, they have proposed to exempt legal services between businesses, because many of them are lawyers. They also agreed at the last minute to exempt milk and bread. Let them eat bread.

Most poor people are renters, so they would not gain from the elimination of the real estate tax. The biggest gainers to eliminating the real estate tax would be the people who own McMansions.

Sales taxes on food, clothing and shoes are regressive. This is because the poor spend a higher percentage of their income on food, clothing and shoes.

A more reasonable approach is also before the Legislature - to fix the property tax reform bill that was passed 2 years ago. This involves using gambling revenues to reduce property taxes. The law simply needs some adjustments so that it is more acceptable to the school boards.

More info. at:
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_5taxesnov22,0,4761153.story?coll=all-news-hed

and reward the rich. This is just another example of it. Are there enough Dems in the legislature to counter this proposal?

The GOP controls both houses of the Legislature, but fortunately they are divided among themselves on this issue. We have a moderate Dem. Governor who is very likely to be re-elected. The leading Republican candidate against him is former football star and ABC sports commentator Lynn Swann. No one knows where he stands on any issues, but he polls well among Steeler fans.

I believe the Governor would veto this change. The GOP don't have the votes to override a veto.

It is amazing that this big a change is occuring with very little public awareness or debate.

PA. already has a system that rebates some of the real estate taxes and rent paid by lower income senior citizens.

The whole neighborhood goes to Hell. I want to bring back restrictive covenants, myself. I wouldn't allow anyone to live in my state who voted Republican or who listened to Bill O'Reilly. That would give me a lot more room, being as I live in Texas.

here in SC...5% state wide, some counties with a 1% local sales tax option and here in Charleston an extra 1/2% to pay for roads into the new WalMarts for a total of 6.5%. On EVERYTHING; food, clothes, shoes, medicines. Plus, every year we pay 'personal property' tax on cars, trucks, boats and mobile homes. And an extra 2% 'hospitality tax' if we want to have a meal in a restaurant downtown or at one of the beaches. Our governor wants to up that by 2% to get rid of the property tax. (Personal property tax stays on everything)

That would leave us here in Charleston paying 8.5% on everything we buy except for fancy restaurant meals, which would be 10.5%.

I'd love to settle for going back to just 6%.

you see former Governor Ridge cut from 50% to 35% the amount of state funding for schools. When he cut that funding...guess what ...that raised the local taxes to support the schools. Where did the 15% go....to corporate tax breaks.

So now that the districts had to make up that 15% and now that other costs like healthcare are making it tight for local economies....guess what...we are going to apply the sales tax across the board....and screw everyone...Hoping that it will allow propery taxes to go down...

I say we kick all the twits out of the PA legislature and start over..