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Many State and Local Governments Are Looking for New Ways to Tax Their Residents
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(63 seconds)
-- How Will You Use This Story? --
(OPEN):
WHILE AMERICANS ARE BEING HURT BY BOTH RISING PRICES AND HIGH
UNEMPLOYMENT, MANY STATE- AND LOCAL-GOVERNMENTS CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR NEW
WAYS TO TAX--EVEN THOUGH SUCH MEASURES WOULD HARM LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS
MOST. THAT'S ACCORDING TO HARRY ALFORD--WHO LEADS THE
NATIONAL BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE...
(ALFORD):
"SOME JURISDICTIONS TAX CELL-PHONES AS IF THEY WERE LUXURY-ITEMS.
BUT, SUCH TAXES DISPROPORTIONATELY HARM FAMILIES WHO RELY ON CELL-PHONES
EITHER FOR SECURITY, OR AS THEIR PRIMARY WAY TO ACCESS THE INTERNET.
ALSO, CONSUMERS CURRENTLY CAN BE CHARGED A SALES-TAX FOR A SINGLE
INTERNET-PURCHASE IN THREE DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS: WHERE THEY LIVE,
WHERE THE SELLER'S LOCATED, AND WHERE THE SERVERS THAT PROCESS THE
TRANSACTION ARE HOUSED. FINALLY, MORE AND MORE LOCAL-GOVERNMENTS
ARE LOOKING TO IMPOSE TAXES ON PLASTIC SHOPPING-BAGS--MOST NOTABLY,
THOSE AT GROCERY-STORES. SINCE THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE REUSE THEIR
BAGS, SUCH TAXES DO LITTLE OR NOTHING TO CUT DOWN ON WASTE--AND,
INSTEAD, ARE SHOULDERED THE MOST BY THOSE WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD TO PAY
THEM."
(CLOSE):
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT
W-W-W-DOT-"NATIONAL-B-C-C"-DOT-ORG.
