Absolutely useless facts about you nobody cares about
Posted: 30 Oct 2024, 08:03
Just went to the doc. I am less fat and lowered my a1c.
Our state sends out a booklet explaining issues on the state-wide ballot. Totaling around 50 pages it does a great job informing voters in advance of voting. How each question got on the ballot. What will happen if it passes or fails. What it will cost, short term and long term. Who'll pay for it and how the money will be collected. It's a nice resource, and I think it's worth whatever it costs to publish.
The legislature here can't create new taxes or increase existing ones without voter approval and there are a couple sneaky questions on this years ballot that begin "Without raising taxes, shall the legislature be instructed to . . ." That means of course, that either they'll extend a temporary tax the voters approved in the past and is now due to expire, or they'll take money from something else then say there's a shortfall over there so they can replenish that other pot through more popular taxes.
There's also a measure that would place an additional tax on the sale of firearms and ammo. There's already two separate taxes on those purchases. The voter info book usually does a balanced job of fairly listing the pros and cons of each issue, but it says retailers and manufacturers will pay that tax. Yeah right. What's the tax for? Funding victim services for those affected by gun crimes. Tax legal activities to pay for the consequences of illegal activities. Brilliant.
Lastly there are two issues the legislature put on the ballot which are a flat out end runs on the law. When the state collects more taxes than voters approved they have to refund it. When the state skims off more gambling revenue than voters approved they must refund it. They have the balls to ask if they can simply ignore limits that citizens have imposed on them and spend the overages - on whatever they want, not even what it is earmarked for.