I Can't Afford a Tax Increase

John Seiler:

I usually make coffee at home. But this morning, I got a Starbucks. Fishing around in my wallet for the money, I noticed I only had a couple of dollars left. Yet I recently patronized the cash machine.

The culprit: soaring gas prices that now cost me $70 to fill up my flivver at the pump.

I don’t drive a gigantic, gas-guzzling Mercedes military vehicle, like our recently departed eco-governor, Arnold Schwarznegger.

Nor do I drive a massive, gas-guzzling SUV like so many state legislators.

Arnold is worth more than $200 million. So rising gas prices are a benefit for him. He doesn’t feel the gouging at the pump. But fewer people drive, so he can more easily maneuver his panzer through the traffic of the uentermenschen in Corollas and Chevettes, while massaging his ego for the great environmental policies he supposedly imposed.

Our Legislators also don’t feel the high gas prices because their vehicles are subsidized by taxpayers, plus they get free gas.

I don’t drive a humongous vehicle like Arnold or our legislators. Just a base-model, four cylinder Camry that gets about 33 mpg on the freeway, 22 mpg around town.

Yet, it still costs me that $70 for a fill up. And, likely more soon.

Then there are the increased costs of food. I’m sure you noticed. To mention one item, in 2009 I remember paying about $1.39 for a pound of bacon at Target. Not it’s about $3.59. More than double the price.

Arnold doesn’t care because he’s rich. Our legislators don’t care, either, because lobbyists pay for their meals.

Yet, our Legislators are pushing Gov. Jerry Brown’s $12 billion tax increase. They obviously just don’t care about us. They only care about keeping happy the lobbyists of the special interests. Especially they want to go on that fall junket the lobbyists throw every year in Hawaii.

Even the Republicans, who so far have prevented tax increases, still back wasting $1.7 billion redevelopment pork.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford more taxes. If taxes go up, I’ll just cut back on spending: No more Starbucks, Netflix, taking fun rides on PCH with friends, etc.

I might even consider moving out of this state. Then California won’t get any tax money out of me at all.

I can’t afford it.

March 30, 2011