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Highlands Today

Tax Exemptions Often Benefit The Most Fortunate

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 21, 2008

According to a News Service of Florida report, a lot of Florida business owners are holding their breath, waiting to see if legislators start cutting sales tax exemptions. We understand the anxiety, but that's exactly where they should look first when trying to figure out how to deal with a $2.3 billion and growing deficit.

If lobbyists do anything, they especially seek tax breaks for their clients. They are paid big money to keep sale tax exemptions on certain goods and services. Their customers will say it's to keep them competitive. Good conservatives should say that's a load of bunk, that any exemptions and subsidies are fundamentally wrong. Ironically, their fiscal conservatism usually doesn't work that way. Instead, they want services to poor and needy people whacked. This time, though, it might be different.

Democrats have tried to eliminate many of these exemptions for some time to protect human services. Even a few Republicans are whispering the same thing, considering how much of a hole Florida's budget is in this year, and last, and probably next year.

Florida has sales tax exemptions on water bottling plants that draw water from natural springs. We also exempt taxes from livestock feed, luxury box seats at sporting events and even Super Bowl tickets.

We're not saying exemptions should be eliminated across the board. What does make sense, though, is saving those exemptions to help the neediest. For example, food should not be taxed, but cigarettes and alcohol should be taxed. Other basic necessities of life shouldn't be taxed, but luxury box seats should be taxed. And most resources that businesses use to produce goods should be taxed. These exemptions should never be to make someone more "competitive." That's up to the good business management to make that happen.

It's sickening all the loopholes the wealthy and big business gets while average taxpayers receive so few. We all must step up and pay for the important, necessary services supplied to the people of this state. If the exemptions and subsidies went away, then perhaps we could lower everyone's taxes. As it stands, a certain segment of society pays and others, certainly more fortunate, reap the rewards. That's no way to run a state or a country.

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