Viewpoints
Jewelry sales tax
By Craig Moen
August 26, 2007
Sunday
Rather than trying to limit jewelry stores through zoning, has
anyone ever thought of limiting them through taxation? As Americans,
something inside us says that restricting the number of a certain
kind of business in this fashion borders on being unconstitutional
or socialist or something. But "necessities" like
alcohol, tobacco, jewelry, furs, amusements, private automobiles,
and candy have a long history of being taxed in the United States.
And these "luxury" taxes have been levied frequently,
especially in wartime, to raise revenue as well as to discourage
the flow of essential resources into the production of items
not related to the "national effort". Let's tax jewelry
sales over X-dollars per item within the Ketchikan city limits
and keep jacking up the rate until the number of jewelry stores
in the downtown falls to what is felt to be an acceptable level.
A 10% tax would put the squeeze on the seasonal jewelry business
and put about $5 million into the city budget. As a true capitalist,
my consulting fee for this solution will be 10% of the first
year's take. I thank you in advance.
Craig Moen
Ketchikan, AK
Received August 24, 2007 - Published August 26, 2007
About: "Ketchikan resident
and former socialist sympathizer until I got a job that made
real money."
Viewpoints - Opinion Letters:
 Webmail
Your Opinion Letter to the Editor
Note: Comments published
on Viewpoints are the opinions of the writer
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
E-mail your letters
& opinions to editor@sitnews.us
Your full name, city and state are required for publication.
SitNews
©2007
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska
|