California Considering New Taxes On Takeout Food, Personal Trainers, Movie Tickets

Other states tax takeout cappuccino, movie tickets and personal trainer sessions. Why not California?

A woman looking for the cheapest jolt of caffeine on the menu at an Alhambra Starbucks offered one response: She's already broke.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[vandegrasse]

Californians, you are being Californicated!

[vandegrasse]

Have you noticed that by in large these new taxes are aimed at the meager entertainments of poor people. Republicans will never learn.

[Rule Of Law]

Remember when George Bush promised us no new taxes? And in fact, an overall lowering of our taxes, to stimulate the economy? Well then, why is it every time we turn around we are paying, in essence, another bigger tax?

Inflation--it's a tax, causes all my necessities to go up in price while my wages go down.

Devaluing of the Dollar--it's a tax that makes my purchasing power less than before requiring more dollars to by less goods.

Interest rates on borrowing--it's a tax, as the big finance guys get nearly free money from the Fed but home loans, car loans, business loans, you name it, are all Higher than they were before the subprime mess. You can have some of that money, but be prepared to pay more for it.

Price of Gas--it's a tax! A barrel of oil has quadrupled in price since we invaded Iraq.

What ever the opposite of wage growth is--it's a tax. When what we're paid doesn't even keep up with inflation, it's the same as a tax.

The National Debt--It's A Tax!!! On us, on our Kids and on their kids. Bush has run up more debt than all previous presidents. WE Pay for that.

City, County, State Fees and Licenses--All Taxes. Because the deficit spending trickle down economics don't work, these entities must look for more money elsewhere--and we are the else.

[IngeniousGirl]

Pressure on middle class and poor, protection for the wealthy. For the number of Hummers, and foreign cars driving around in the Bay Area I wonder what a 50% tax on those vehicles would recover for the State of California. In the UK that's the norm.

[fourex]

Arnold shifting taxes onto middle income and poor people. Looks like class warfare to me, cut at top tax the rest. Warren Buffet said, 'we are already in class warfare, and my side is winning'. Thanks for your honesty Mr. Buffet.

[unbozo]

I have a better idea have a luxury tax on Hummers and yachts. In fact raise the income taxes on the top 1%. That would be more fair. The rich have had a free ride for too long.

P.S. Arnold, if you go through with a fair tax increase AND sign SB-840 (single-payer in California) I'd be much more likely to vote for you.

[UnbiasView]

A $30,000 car is now considered a luxury item? That is what an H3 costs

[CaptainHowdy]

Sigh... the Hummer H1 was $130,000.00 to $140,000.00.

Idiot.

[fourex]

Bravo, well said, no caps needed.

[Jason357]

Isn't this what you guys call "progressive"?

[CallMeDeaconBlues]

In addition, they tax the hell out of gas. They tax you for buying a six pack. Please God, send someone to buy my house. I want out of this God forsaken over taxed land.

[JScott]

And I didn't vote for AS. Oh Arnold why don't ya do some more shilling of Joe Weider's worthless products and then DONATE the proceeds to relieve Calif. budget deficit, hey your real real good at that.

[JScott]

Whine whine whine California is NOT a high tax state it falls in the middle between MA and AL. and apparently not enough people are swayed by it, the states population has just topped 38 million, that's 1 of 8 people in the US, there's plenty of people to buy your house but not at the overpriced amount folks ask for, as with a lotta folks here to sell it you will have to reduce your asking price and it's perfectly fine with me if 10 million OR MORE whiny people move OUT of California, the tough ones stay.

[Gasparilla]

No. The Census Bureau ranks it 10th in state taxes per capita.
http://www.census.gov/govs/statetax/05staxrank.html

[CallMeDeaconBlues]

Yeah and we already get taxed for the flippin air we breathe over here. One question, doesn't my 32K a year property tax cover any of this.

[rodeman]

$32 thou a year..........?

You must have one hell of a crib........!!

[UnbiasView]

Keep electing liberal republicans and liberal democrats in CA, you'll find out that no amount of your money is enough. Enjoy supporting all those illegals

[fourex]

Illegals are hired by your friends unbias.

[mamacat]

Gray Davis, the Democratic governor who held office before Arnold, was successfully removed from office by the Republicans because Davis tried to balance the budget by installing a progressive tax on vehicles and yachts. That was spun by the Republicans as being irresponsible. Arnold is a better Governor than Bush is president, but the taxes that Davis asked for were fairer and less disruptive to the economy than Arnold's new plan. Davis's plan would have contributed to a balanced budget while encouraging people to buy greener, less expensive cars, rather than the monster SUVs, pickups, and Humvees that are crowding our roads now.

[Gary47]

Those damn tax and spend Republicans!

[unbozo]

They aren't tax and spend! They are Spend and squander!

[CaptainHowdy]

BORROW and spend is more like it.

Let our children worry about paying it off.

[avraamjack]

.
MARIA WILL BE THE NEXT GOVERNOR.
.
THEN SHE WILL BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT.
.
Arnold will be first spouse.
.

[jsarets]

Earth to Governator: Consumption and production taxes are regressive. Apportion ALL taxes by household income including capital gains, exempting income up to the poverty level, and made-up with a poverty tax on any income above 10 times poverty level. This is simple, progressive, and very friendly to small businesses.

[UnbiasView]

CA is billions in debt they need to do something.

[CaptainHowdy]

ALL states are billions in debt.

And if you haven't noticed yet, the whole country is trillions in debt.

This will not last too much longer.

[UnbiasView]

False.

[zizyphus]

I know that Arnold has gotten high and I am saddened that he lacks the political courage to take the historical step of completely decriminalizing the use of marijuana, allowing it to be grown, sold, and taxed like any other farm product.

At this point in time, only legalizing hemp can save the economy of the US. A trillion dollar a year business that pays no taxes.

[sandiegoconservative]

That's the ONLY way to save the economy? How about the government cuts waste and limits spending on necessary projects only? That might also work . . .

[gakabani]

what abou taxing me for breathing oxygen? What bull!

[UnbiasView]

California is proof positive that being liberal and not confronting illegal immigration causes the state and its people to go into massive debt.

[Gasparilla]

The costs of schools is the main part of what is breaking them, so you are correct that it is a huge drain.

[UnbiasView]

And hospitals.

[layman]

Snigger should try to tax people like himself more, driving Hummers, commuting on corporate jets, because their asses are to big and consume much more than others..

[dadw5boys]

Cut the taxes on Corporations and raise the taxes on the little guy!

[jsarets]

Same damn thing!! Taxing the producer is the same as taxing the product!! The gas tax and now this... it's getting ridiculous. Why doesn't anybody understand how taxes work?

[WorkingClass]

Your right. Only people pay taxes. Thats why I say TAX THE RICH.

[clearthinker2008]

But what happens to those workers at the movie places and coffee places when they are out of a job? However, I make my own coffee, watch movies on tv, and workout using my cheap hand weights... maybe it is a clever way of taxing those with the cash lol.

[taoist]

Hey . is this not the reason we had to get rid of Gray Davis? Arnold is a piece of work! But then it is Califooornia. Cannot wait till i retire to get the hell out of here!

[robXdion]

Californians are gonna freak out. Combined with $4.50 gas and home foreclosures/wildfires, now they have to cut back on leisure and entertainment. Forget the asians, blacks and mexicans, this might make the whites riot in OC. LOL!

[KOisGod]

takeout cappuccino, movie tickets and personal trainer sessions?

Nope, not going to affect me.

Don't drink fufu coffee, just give it to me black, don't go to the movies, $11? I have netfix. Personal trainer, LOL. There's one way to tax the rich.

Jeez

[WorkingClass]

Here is an idea that Arnold probably never thought of. TAX THE RICH. Rich people have lots of money. Thats why we call them "the rich". They squeal like little piggies if you tax them, but it doesn't really hurt them. When its over they are still rich. Glad I could help. I love your movies.

[JaseAllen]

I consider anyone who can afford to spend money on personal trainers and $5 cups of coffee to be fairly well-to-do, if not rich. (The lady who claimed she was broke while ordering from Starbucks needs to take a hard look at her budget.)

People who eat a lot of take-out are either just as well off or just plain lazy. Either way they don't get much sympathy from me.

I say expand the special tax to bottled water and consumer vehicles that rate less than 30 mpg.