Democrats Abandon Tax Increases

Tax increases on the rich, and in fact everyone else, is a basic tenet of the Democratic Party, but they have learnt at the ballot box that tax increases are not a winning issue. Thus they have abandoned tax increases but look instead for revenue enhancements. A rose is a rose by any other name. A tax increase is a tax increase by any other name. Jonathan Gruber has done us a favor by stating ObamaCare “was written in a tortured way to make sure CBO did not score the mandate as taxes.” Thus the individual mandate is a mandate and a penalty and not a tax, unless Chief Justice Roberts calls it a tax, which it is and he did. You can put lipstick on a pig, you can dress up a pig, but it’s still a pig. Democratic Senators today are salivating over the prospect of enacting a carbon "fee" that would raise $2 trillion over the next ten years. Professor Jonathan Gruber is not the only Democrat who thinks the American people are stupid. The standard taxes reaping large revenues are the normal income, property and sales taxes. The revenue enhancements can be small nickel and dime fees, but they are taxes intended to feed the pig. Here are some of these non-tax taxes: Fees All sorts of fees: Real estate transfer fees Electronic waste recycling fees Battery disposal fees Tire recycling fees Plastic (and paper) bag fees (The new wave) Park fees Parking fees Permit fees Franchise fees Business operations fees Medical device user fees Storm Water user fees Passport fees Passenger facility fees September 11 Security Fees Airport fees Airport car rental fees Inspection fees Vehicle license fees Oil extraction fees Fines and Penalties User fees Enhancements Levies Surcharges Mello Roos (California) Bottle deposits Sewer charges Utility assessments Tolls Tuition and fees Cap and Trade