TexasCHLforum.com

C-dub wrote:That's more than I was aware of. I thought the tax we paid on an automobile was a state tax and it was fixed at somewhere around 6-6.5%. It's been a while since I've bought a car.

The sales tax on an automobile IS state tax (6.25%)...the tires are subject to federal excise tax, as are many of the components BEFORE assembly, but there is NO federal tax to the retail purchaser. All sales tax in Texas is state or municipal...the state tax is 6.25 % , but towns have the individual option of adding a city sales tax which the state refunds to the city on a monthly basis...in most Texas towns the sales tax rate is 8.25% with certain items such as automobiles (both new and used) being exempted from the 2% added city tax.

So my "choice" to spend what little money I have on essentials should be punished at a higher overall rate than a rich person who has money to burn.

Once again...the money you choose to spend on "essentials" is not subject to sales tax...never has been. Basic grocery items ( milk, bread, vegetables, meat, etc...) are non taxable...discretionary items such as beer, wine, tobacco are taxed.The roof over your head is not taxed if you are renting...property OWNERS have to pay property taxes, which are used to provide municipal and county services, road maintenance, police and fire departments, and free public schools for EVERYONE...including those who pay NO taxes. If you CHOOSE to, you can buy clothing during an annual tax holiday prior to start of the school year, and avoid paying any tax on those items also.

The Mad Moderate wrote:

tbrown wrote:I want a sales tax that equally taxes every dollar someone chooses to spend.

Equality and choice. Why are they anathema to the left wing?

What do you not understand about the fact that a sales tax end up taxing a larger percent of lower income earners wages than it does the rich so you're ok with a tax increase on the poor but not the rich.

It taxes everyone for what they spend on NON-NECESSITIES...the lower income wage earners do not pay taxes on groceries, utilities, rent, insurance, medical, dental, and so on. Do you actually believe the wealthy and higher wage middle/upper middle class don't spend MUCH MORE money on taxable luxury and discretionary goods? With a flat sales tax, those who have more and spend more will pay more...luxury vehicles, expensive clothing, high end home furnishings, etc...all those things they don't HAVE to have, but choose to spend their money on. If I choose to go out and buy a new set of golf clubs, a new fly rod, or gun I will pay additional taxes for that choice...it up to the individual. Equality and choice.

steveincowtown wrote:

old farmer wrote:

EXXON profits is over 30.5 billion dollars....................................................................................................

No offense old farmer, I am not happy with the State of The Union as well, but the quote above is one of my pet peeves. Exxon made 30.5 billion on Revenues of 383 Billion. This means as a business the made less than 8% net profit at the end of the day.

How many of you own a business, and how many of you would think you were "killing it" if you made 8% net profit at the end of a year?

8% is about what I have made per year on investments over the past 10 years, and all that money had to do was sit there.

Exxon's profits were made by producing goods and services and selling them to buyers who were willing to pay a price established by supply and demand in the free market. Have they benefited greatly from the rise in prices the last 3 years...you bet they have...but they don't control the price of oil and gas...the market does that, the same way it does for beef, potatoes, housing, ranchland and all other things. The farmers and ranchers don't control the price they get for the goods they produce, but they naturally hope the prices when they sell will be as high as possible...that's how they make their profits. I have a good friend in the real estate business that has made alot of money over the years buying low and selling high, who was complaining about "those big oil companies" making obscene profits and saying the government ought to step in and put some type of cap on their profits. I asked him if he had purchased a property for $200,000, rehabbed it, and 3 months later a buyer came in and offered him $500,000, did he think the government should be able to say you can't sell it for more than $300,000? He said "of course not...I put up my own money and took all the risks, it's nobody else's business if that's what someone is willing to pay". I smiled and said "so ,its OK for them to do it to someone else, but not you?" He kinda' shook his head and said "yeah, not too smart, huh?"