Gov. David Paterson of New York is taking extreme measures in his proposed new budget to deal with a budget shortfall:
"The proposal, which needs legislative approval, did not include broad-based income tax increases, but relied on smaller ones to raise $4.1 billion from cash-strapped New Yorkers. Movie tickets, taxi rides, soda, beer, wine, cigars and massages would be taxed under Paterson's proposal. It also extends sales taxes to cable and satellite TV services and removes the tax exemption for clothes costing less than $110."
The proposed budget includes 88 increases in fees, and a number of other tax increases besides.
Now, here's the interesting part: a number of progressive acquaintances of mine have said that they believe the ideological beliefs of Americans are changing; that Americans are no longer so anti-government or anti-tax, and that Barack Obama's election is one proof of this. Well--if this is really true, then New York is one good place to test the proposition. It's a fairly liberal, Democratic state. Surely New Yorkers will be able to accept these supposedly necessary tax increases? Surely they can be a bellweather of the new liberalism--right?
But what if they don't? Heh heh. Stay tuned...
