Liberal group slaps California GOP on ’sloophole’
By Lisa Vorderbrueggen
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 at 3:54 pm in California Legislature, California budget, Democratic politics, Republican politics.
Liberal activists at the Courage Campaign have produced a YouTube video slap that features California Assembly Republicans who refused to close a tax loophole.
That would be the infamous “sloophole,” which allows boat, jet and RV buyers to take delivery of their new toys offshore or out of state and as long as they don’t bring them into California or 90 days, they don’t pay sales taxes.
Republicans called the vote a partisan political gimmick that would produce very little new tax revenue while hurting small businesses at marinas and RV sales lots.
The Courage Campaign sent out an email blast a few minutes ago asking for donations. They want to air the ad on CNN, MSNBC (not Fox News) and other places where voters get their political news, i.e., the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. (CORRECTION POSTED 3/21/08: ActBlue is processing the contributions but the Courage Campaign is putting out the ad.)
Here’s the video:
It’s shocking and unbelievable.
California is in crisis, facing a $16 billion budget deficit. Social services are being slashed to the bone. Teachers and education professionals are being laid off by the thousands (up to 20,000, according to California Department of Education). Tuition and fees at state universities and colleges are being raised through the roof.
Still blinking in disbelief? You read that right: Tax loopholes for yacht owners.
While you are wondering if your child’s school is going to be shut down because of the brutal cuts proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, his California Republican “Yacht Party” colleagues in the state legislature are protecting the lavish lifestyles of the super-wealthy.
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March 20th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
The “rich” (meaning anyone making over $70,000 a year before taxes) already pay over 80% of all tax revenues to the State and Federal Governments.
By the way, that same so-called “loophole” also applies to motorcycles, cars, trucks and RVs.
Lastly, with the mid-year budget cuts made by the Legislature last month, the projected budget shortfall is now $8 billion, not $16 billion according to the LAO.
March 22nd, 2008 at 5:52 am
Here is the Yacht thing. First of all some people use boats for recreation. Many cost 80 to 200 thousand dollars, why should they have to pay 6 to 12 thousand dollars in sales taxes, it is too much and unfair. If you want a nice house pay more property tax, a car same, swimming pool, or remodel. In other words the Gov punishes people for wanting to enjoy the money we work for. But the bigger question is ( should the Gov get anymore of our money or maybe even less) Is Gov a welfare program that takes from one group of people to enrich another or create a job that is unnecessary.
I refer to the Cultural Elite that I will get to later. Dan Carter
March 22nd, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Maybe if Liberals showed some ability or willingness to cut spending they would be more consensus on closing Winnebago sized loopholes in the tax laws.