They'll get it either way

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You know, when we moved to the Central Oregon Coast a few years ago, we were amazed at the number of State and County parks, their pristine condition, and the fact that most of them were free to use. Boat ramps, trails, fishing spots, beaches, RV dump sites, lakes, and rivers seldom had a use fee.

Well, last year, the County placed a measure on the ballot to raise taxes. The measure claimed, that the measure if not passed would force the closure of about a third of these places because of the lack of funds.

So, the measure failed by a large margin (which included my "no" vote). And the following day, even before the newspapers announced the results of the vote, the County placed "Use Fees" at every one of the sites that previously were free, and increased the fees of the existing fee sites. Seems they had the signs and collection boxes fabricated even before the vote.

Now, I'm sure all of you Fox News fans know that California is near bankrupt. And twice now, their voters have rejected voter mandated tax increases. And yesterday, I was informed that as a means to collect more money to run their programs, California has increased it's traffic fines. Already among the highest in the nation, their fines tripled in most cases. How much you ask? Well, a seat belt violation increased from $271 to over $700 (and seat belt violations are cited more often than any other). A basic speed violation of less than 15 mph over the posting is now set at $668, as is the penalty for running a red light or stop sign. And, the State claims it raised the fines in the interest of traffic safety!

"Sumtin wong, as an immigrant might say. But he would be right. Most states, including Oregon require the voters to approve any tax increase, yet they empower their legislatures to collect various fees without voter authorization. DMV, building permits, business licensing, pet registration, park fees, court fines, and toll roads are all set and collected by the state without restrictions.

So, what is the difference between a tax and a fee? Personally, I see little. Although a speeding motorist in California will pay more of a fee than a person who does not drive, and a park user will pay for the park he uses in Oregon, it is all a tax.

And, recently I heard their is an effort under way to tax soda, in an effort to get us to quit using it because it is not healthy. Kind of like the did with cigarettes. Hogwash!
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Next, they will want to tax the Thought Dock.
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