Sott Burns (D- Franklin) Might Not Know What A 'Tax' Is - Granite Grok

Sott Burns (D- Franklin) Might Not Know What A ‘Tax’ Is

taxThe Union leader has a story about the NH Democrats new Paint Tax.  NH House Democrats pushed it through yesterday, and I wrote about it here.

Rep. Scott Burns, D-Franklin, argued the program is voluntary for retail establishments and would help cities and towns save on paint disposal costs.

He argued that the bill does not institute a tax, but places a fee on retailers.

Two points. First, I read HB1570.  I did not get the sense that it was voluntary. Perhaps I missed that, but my gut feeling is that Democrat leadership lied to its caucus or New Hampshire Democrat Scott Burns is lying for them.

Second, when the government creates a law that mandates an additional cost, which in this case is to fund the activities of that government, regardless of the purpose, that is a tax.  You can call it anything you like, but it is still a tax.  So this IS the New Hampshire Democrat Paint Tax.  And depending on the paint, New Hampshire Democrats are laying a new a 3-5% tax on this product.

Given all the other price pressures placed on businesses by ObamaCare and other government intrusions, you’d have to be a fool to think they wont have to pass this cost on to consumers who are already struggling with price inflation on food, fuel, and other essentials.   But yes, there are democrat fools who think retailers will not pass on the cost.  These are the same fools, we should remind you,  who bought and sold every lie about ObamaCare, and continue to do so–if they are not actually in hiding on that issue.

Democrats are also pointing out that all the other New England states are doing it.  Really? Are NH Democrats planning to use that excuse for a sales or income tax, bigger budgets, higher unemployment, lower standards of living, higher rates of welfare and dependency, because almost every northeast state has those and New Hampshire does not.

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