OK, there is going to be a 15.4 billion dollar budget deficit in the state of New York this year, and as a New Yorker, I am willing to make some sacrifices to help close the gap. But this is
a bit ridiculous, no?ALBANY - Gov. David Paterson's proposed $121 billion budget hits New Yorkers in their iPods - and nickels-and-dimes them in lots of other places, too.
Trying to close a $15.4 billion budget gap, Paterson called for 88 new fees and a host of other taxes, including an "iPod tax" that taxes the sale of downloaded music and other "digitally delivered entertainment services."
"We're going to have to take some extreme measures," Paterson said Tuesday after unveiling the slash-and-burn budget.
The proposal, which needs legislative approval, did not include broad-based income tax increases, but relied on smaller ones to raise $4.1 billion from cash-strapped New Yorkers.
Movie tickets, taxi rides, soda, beer, wine, cigars and massages would be taxed under Paterson's proposal. It also extends sales taxes to cable and satellite TV services and removes the tax exemption for clothes costing less than $110.
Taxing downloaded music? Movie tickets? Beer? Wine? As a poor as shit New Yorker living in one of the most expensive cities in the world, how the fuck am I supposed to enjoy myself?
OK, there is going to be a 15.4 billion dollar budget deficit in the state of New York this year, and as a New Yorker, I am willing to make some sacrifices to help close the gap. But this is a bit ridiculous, no?
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