Higher Licences/fees Equals Higher Taxes
According to an article this morning in the Portland Press Herald, Governor Baldacci has included in his new budget proposal to increase various hunting and fishing licenses to raise an additional $4.1 million. Call them whatever you want to, but at the end of the day these are tax increases.
But don’t take my word for it, the U.S. Census Bureau classifies “Hunting and Fishing Licenses” as taxes. And this is not the first time that the state government has tapped hunters and fishermen (and women) for more money. In this report, I found that between FY 2002 and FY 2007, revenue from “Hunting and Fishing Licenses” has increased by 100 percent to $17.1 million in FY 2007 from $8.5 million in FY 2002. Overall, I estimate that it appears nearly $300 million in new taxes were levied over this time-period.
One would think that after the success of the “Fed Up with Taxes” campaign in November that any and all tax increases would be off the table . . . oh wait, they are calling it a fee increase to throw taxpayers off the scent. Brilliant.