Dear Editor:
Citizens of Cole County are being primed to pass a sneaky tax for construction projects so upper income people do not have to pay their fair share.
The sneaky tax, also known as a sales tax, is regressive. The less income the higher percentage of income is paid in taxes. A person who earns $100,000 might pay $7,000 in sneaky tax which is seven percent of income. A person who earns $50,000 would still need the basics such as groceries, auto repair, clothes, etc. but would not pay half as much in taxes. If he paid $5,000 in sneaky taxes that would be 10 percent of income. Sales taxes are sneaky taxes because it is a small amount each time we buy something but amounts to millions of dollars in Cole County. The sneaky taxes for construction would amount to $22 million. That would buy a lot of groceries for Cole County residents. We must have the only tax-andspend Republicans commissioners in Missouri.
I hear some Chamber of Commerce type yelling "We must have improvements so we can keep up with Columbia and with no tax increases. Any thinking person knows that continuing a sneaky tax instead of letting it expire is a tax increase.
The projects proposed may or may not be needed, but all taxpayers should pay their fair share. People with more expensive property reflecting higher income should pay proportionally more taxes. I bet if the projects had to be paid by property taxes the Cole County Commission would not propose anything. They and their constituents who are the higher income people are not willing to pay their share but are happy to push it down to lower income people.
If you do not want the Cole County Commission to sneak a sales tax increase by us, let them know. If nothing else send a copy of this letter with your name to the Commission at 301 E. High Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
The regressive nature of sneaky taxes is also true of the unfair "Fair" tax proposal. It is just another way for higher income people to avoid their fair share of taxes.