Memo to California governor Schwarzenegger: golfers are getting taxed enough!
The state of California does a lot of things right, like their movement towards green energy & conservation. One of the things I’m most impressed with the state is how affordable it’s public universities can be for residents.
It’s also the home state of some of the liberal blogoshere’s most dedicated foot soldiers, like WorldGolf.com’s Bill Wolfrum.
But their government can’t seem to balance the budget, and because of that they may be coming after golfers.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to add sales tax to a round of golf in hopes of reducing the deficit. The state rate is 7.25% and local taxes can add up to 2% more if they wish.
I know it’s none Barack Obama’s business really, being in the federal branch and all, but hopefully our golf-loving Commander-in-Chief saw this news nugget come across his Blackberry and decided to slap a little sense into the Governator. Arnold, we know your state is short on dough, and I’m sure as a former muscle man, you don’t really appreciate golf like you should. But a golfer is already plenty taxed in a variety of ways:
Their golf clubs, unless they bought it on EBay or from their buddy, was by all means taxed.
Those golf balls they have to buy every month are taxed.
When they stop into the 19th hole for the obligatory round of suds and grub, that’s all taxed.
The gas they need to get to the golf course is taxed (heavily in Cali).
The gift they have to buy their wife because they ditched out on Saturday landscaping for 18 holes somewhere in Monterey, that’s taxed…
So here is my message to Gov. Arnold & the California budget balancers: If you MUST tax golf, and I mean you’ve looked at EVERYTHING, just tax the golf cart. DO NOT tax the greens fee. Any activity that promotes healthy, better living outdoors, helps lower stress levels (at least in most of us) and keeps big open spaces green and lush, should not be taxed. That’s what booze and cigarettes are for. Golf promotes a healthy lifestyle which could lead to a reduction in state dollars needed for health care.
California already has employment nearly as high as everyone’s favorite punching bag, Michigan. Millions more Californians are probably stressed out they’ll lose their current jobs. Let them enjoy themselves on the golf course with tax-free greens fees.
I’m so disgusted with Arnold right now I’m going to put in my old VHS tape of “Kindergarten Cop,” grab a six-pack and heckle the crap out of it.
You can follow Brandon Tucker’s golf blog and more on Twitter: http://twitter.com/brandontucker or follow WorldGolf.com at Twitter.com/worldgolf
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7 comments
Let's say the average green fee is 100 $ (which I am sure it is not), the extra tax is 2$.
You drive to the mall with your wife, the gas you need is taxed the same.
You buy a baseball bat to your kid: tax, like golf clubs.
Balls, kites, bicycles : taxed like golf balls.
Go to the sports bar: obligatory round of suds and grub, that’s all taxed.
Flowers to the wife after your poker game: taxed.
So, where is this going ? 2$ ? Let's say it's for extra use of water ! We must all chip in.
If you want to chip in, be my guest, but leave me out of it. You're talking like a sucker. Big government will never have enough money and will always spend beyond its means. The answer is to control spending, not continually institute new taxes.
Moreover, when you say "it only adds up to this or that much," you're thinking like a sheep. It's one little tax here, another there, another somewhere else, and soon you're being fleeced the way they are in Europe. Besides, if the amount is as insignificant as you say - and you don't want to consider the cumulative effects of such things (which you didn't with taxpayers) - I'm sure the Sacramento scam artists can do without it.
That was a good question to ask of jaypee. He sounds like a Labour hack.
On a different note, Brandon, remember that this is what happens when you elect liberals (of which Schwarzenegger is one).
is about stop spending!!!
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