Great Survey Question

[vraiblonde]

Check the front page of somd.com and vote:

Recently St Mary's County Delegate Johnny Wood (D) proposed raising the sales tax from 5% to 6% to help balance the Md. budget. Do you think that this is a good idea?

I'd like to hear some pros and cons before I make a vote on it. At first glance, I'm inclined to say "Yes".

 

[Sharon]

Hell no!

Cut back on the spending. If I run out of money before my bills are paid should I demand a raise from my boss? I'm sick of everybody having their hand in my wallet.

And to those who say it's just a penny, start sending me all of YOURS!

 

[Otter]

What Sharon said...plus with the current prospect of paying two dollars a gallon for gas, I need my pennies...

 

[cattitude]

Maybe if the three of ya would stop spending ..oh what it is now..$4.00 plus for your cigarettes, you'd have more pennies.:razz2:

 

[SxyPrincess]

Doesn't matter to me - I can afford it.

 

[iceeyes9]

Our graduates cannot calculate 5% how the crap are they gonna figure 6%?

 

[demsformd]

I oppose a sales tax increase because the middle and lower classes carry far too much of the burden. Sales tax, just as cigarette taxes, are regressive taxes that should be among the last taxes that government considers raising.

 

[pixiegirl]

I'll have to agree with everyone and give it a big fat NO. Doesn't the word "budget" mean anything? They screwed it up not me. I paid my taxes. Trim some of the fat elsewhere cause we all know there's planty of it.

 

[Warron]

I said no. They are getting more then enough money already. The state will have to strip thier spending back to bare minimum before I will ever support a tax increase. And more then likely I still wouldn't support one. Let them beg from the feds if there is a deficit.

 

[chuckster]

NO MORE TAX INCREASES
I want to see a copy of our states budget. Bet there is a few pounds of "Pork" that can be trimmed

 

[SmallTown]

If the state was taking on some large scale, immediate, unbudgeted event, then I could see an increase. But this one seems to be the result of someone not being able to balance their checkbook and looking for handouts.

But maryland (taking into account the percentage and the number of items that are exempted) is somewhat low compared to the national average. I think only a few states have the same or lower percentage AND the same number of exemptions.

But i'm with the majority, trimming is the answer.

 

[Kyle]

Let those Delegates and Senators in Annapolis who brought about this mess give up their undeserved salarys to help fill the void.

 

[vraiblonde]

What if it meant they could get the money to pay off the deficit without doing slots? Would you go for it then?

Here's something I might not understand - how big a deal is a deficit, anyway? How does that work? Do we have to reimburse that money to someone or something or can we just balance the current budget and go from there?

 

[iceeyes9]

There will never be a time we do not have a deficit. I think its just a catch all term the paperpushers use to get junk approved. If there is such a large deficit, where do they ALWAYS find funds for their pay increases??????

 

[Ken King]

A NO vote here. Hold the sales tax where it is, get the slots going, reduce or eliminate corporate tax loopholes and trim unnecessary spending. The 1 percent increase on sales taxes will hit the poorest the hardest which will require additional services (aka money) to assist them and the cycle continues.

Redirecting a lot of the funds coming into the state to the general fund might help too. It's about time the Stadium Authority give up on the Lotto money and let all of us enjoy the benefit of that State sponsored gambling program.

Looking for the 2004 budget, try http://www.dbm.state.md.us/html/2004budgetdetail.html

 

[Topper]

Sales Tax

If the increase in sales tax is an alternative to slot machines, then I agree with the increase. Slot machines, like other forms of gambling, are adictive and destructive of individuals and families. While an increase in sales tax is still not "fair", as it burdens lower income families more than higher income families, it is still a better alternative than slots.

 

[SmallTown]

I prefer slots over the higher sales tax. For people who can't afford it, they dont have to play slots. But people HAVE to buy certain things, so they will be hit no matter what.

 

[Topper]

A few years back I used to play church bingo weekly. I always lost, but had a good time. At first, I lost less than $10, but each week the amount grew. One night I ran into a coworker who was a serious player. She had many cards that she concentrated on, and won. I knew her well enough to know that she lived in a trailer. A few weeks later, her ten-year-old daughter told me that they had hot water. I asked if her water heater had been broken. The girl told me no, they had never had a water heater before then. I got out while I could.

Compulsive gambling is a progressive, incurable disease. We all use the services our state provides, hospitals, roads, schools etc. We should all pay for them and resist the temptation to take advantage of the illness of a few.

“When I was a kid I got no respect. I told my old man, "I'm sick and tired of running around in circles." He got mad. He nailed down my other foot.” Rodney Dangerfield