Taxes! Taxes! Taxes!

If there's one subject I'd rather not continue to address in this blog, it is the blatant money grab enlightened economic policies mandated by the spineless weasels politicians in Columbus. Unfortunately, somebody has to document the specifics of the recent confiscation increase in taxes in the state of Ohio.

In addition to the increase in the state sales tax and expansion of the types of businesses subject to the sales tax (discussed in previous posts), the public needs to be aware of some of the other pocket picking going on. Hold on to your wallets.

Reporting for the Toledo Blade, Jim Provance outlines some of the other areas where the lawmakers decided to screw the public enhance revenue generation.

The state tax on gasoline will climb from 22 cents, where it's been since 1993, to 24 cents, the first of three 2-cent increases that will take the tax to 28 cents per gallon on July, 2005. That's on top of the federal tax of $18.4 cents.

. . . the fee to renew a driver's license every four years will also cost $12 more, at $23.75.

. . . renewing vehicle registration will cost $11 more . . . .

Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman Brian Cunningham stated that, with the prices of gasoline fluctuating almost daily, many motorists may never notice the 2-cent increase.

Now, let's analyze his statement. Is he only commenting or is he proposing that the best time to sneak in a tax increase and have it go unnoticed is when a market is energetic? A mere observation or a shifty political ploy? You make the call.

And here are some other ways we citizens will be filched.

Aviation licenses will be a $100 flat fee instead of the previous $3 per seat. This is not good news for someone with a two-seat or four-seat airplane.

The fee to renew a barber's license will increase from $75 to $100.

The fee to renew a barber school license will increase from $500 to $1,000.

The cost of a boxing promoter's license will increase from $50 to $100.

The cost of hunting and fishing licenses will increase from $14 to $18. Additionally, no longer will senior citizens be receiving free licenses. They will now have to pay half-price.

Hunters will see the cost of a deer and turkey permit rise from $20 to $24.

The cost of liquor permits will rise in one of two ways: all permits currently under $300 will be doubled; all those over $300 will be increased by 25 percent.

I have one last thing concerning the increase in the state sales tax. A story in the Cleveland Plain Dealer states that the one-cent "increase is set to end in July 2005." If I had to wager which would occur first between the end of the increased sales tax or Lyndon LaRouche becoming President of the United States, it would be a tossup, but I'd have to go with President LaRouche. I've no confidence that the lawmakers will roll back the sales tax.

All I've got to say is, "Fasten your seat belts, It's going to be a bumpy ride."