Editorial

Taxing your patience

When the previous governor of Arkansas--Mike Beebe--was running as a candidate for his first term in 2005, the state's tax on groceries stood, towered, at 6 percent. At the time, some of us called it Arkansas' Shame. (This was before the lottery.) Imagine taxing folks that much on bread and milk. Not to mention squash, hamburger buns, fish fry seasoning and all the other essentials to Arkansas life and diet. Of all the good that Mike Beebe did during his two terms in office, and he did a lot with the help of the Ledge, at the top of the list should be reducing the state's grocery tax to 1.5 percent, where it stands today.

In recent memory, Pulaski County and Little Rock have not changed taxes on groceries, which is 1 percent for the county and 1.5 for the city. So the total tax on milk, bread, etc., is 4 percent in the capital city.

And none of that counts the taxes on meals you eat in a restaurant, which can get to more than 11 percent in the bigger cities in central Arkansas. That's more than tithes, as if the government was as efficient as the church in providing for those in need.

There's a better way to pay for city streets and police than taxing the food we eat. Several ways, actually. But here's a start:

If Congress would ever allow sales taxes on all online purchases--emphasis on all--then the states, counties and cities could reduce their taxes on groceries even more.

Sounds like a good bill for a congressman or 300 to co-sponsor.

Editorial on 06/30/2016

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