Huge State Beer Tax Increase!

There I was, empty Corny in one hand, summoning the Bar Chick with the other, not even accustomed to the change in light from outdoors, and the light of a TV camera blinds me. The bar proper is patron-less, yet several tables are occupied by several groups of 3 and 4 people. I take a seat away from the TV camera and the County Deputy picking up a take-out lunch (and thankfully leaving immediately), that I had nervously followed into the parking lot and on into the Establishment.

The hot brunette spinner On-Air Talent comes up to me first, just after my first taste of a still high-frothed IPA, asking me for my opinion of the Governor's attempt to make up for lost State Revenue by enacting a huge increase in the State Beer Tax, of about 600% more than the last increase generated, from what the Brewmaster said. The Brewmaster I was exchanging niceties with quickly steps out of the picture frame, since they did not want possibly biased opinion from Employees.

I quickly decline, wanting more to appreciate that First Brew, than to become a media hosted critic of the Government. :cross:

GD, I know the Economy sucks in MI, I know it well, but of all the ways to make up for Budget Shortfalls, gouging the working class's beer drinking (DEEPER) is just plain wrong.

Like I didn't already have enough desire to start getting real serious about going AG and doing it big. Why not find a tax that hits ALL residents equally, instead of increasing an apparent Sin Tax on those just wanting to Relax and Enjoy?

I signed the Petition.

Henry Hill said:

Like I didn't already have enough desire to start getting real serious about going AG and doing it big. Why not find a tax that hits ALL residents equally, instead of increasing an apparent Sin Tax on those just wanting to Relax and Enjoy?

I signed the Petition.

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Yeah that's government for ya. Although, I wouldn't classify it as "Sin Tax" because I think it has more to do with the fact that people are willing to pay for what they like is the avenue they are going I am guessing. To draw an example, they tax gasoline out the wazoo. They are seeing how far they can stretch before you break. Personally I think an even bigger problem they will create from this will be the crushing of smaller breweries, and that imho is just plain nasty.

Sin taxes are BS. Spread the revenue pool amongst all the peeps.

-They want to raise Liquor License renewals to $1800 from $600, also.

-Beer's cost is 40% taxes NOW.

-Michigan's beer tax is already higher than any surrounding state's.

-Beer is currently taxed the 6% sales tax ON TOP of the current Beer Tax.

They gotta find a way to pay for all those iPods they want to give to school kids.

What politician came up with that brilliant idea?

We need some huge sin tax on vegan food. Target boca bacon, burgers etc. To call that **** food is a sin.

Make sure to write your representatives and tell them how displeased you are with this plan. The only way politicians get away with this stuff is with the apathy of the voters.

desertBrew said:

We need some huge sin tax on vegan food. Target boca bacon, burgers etc. To call that **** food is a sin.

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Hey now, settle down...

Ostensibly, a Mr. 'John Bebow, executive director of the Center for Michigan, a self-styled centrist think tank in Ann Arbor of Michigan', but I think that was driven from Governor Granholm's quest to raise income taxes by:

first, trying to eliminate some State Police (the Union made up for the Officers who were to be furloughed, temporarily at least).

second, an increase in taxes on Services, like oil changes and haircuts.

third, now the Beer Tax.

Seems that striking out at unpopular tax schemes will lead voters to vote their own income tax increase, rather than suffer unbalanced taxes on segments and niches of the general demographic population. Lesser of negatives, I suspect.

This Bebow guy was probably approached by the Gov's office in the first place, so it doesn't sound like it Her idea.

kvh said:

Hey now, settle down...

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Feeling a little like Henry now? <JK> My wife serves me up boca bacon

From 2004 but interesting

http://www.bgct.org/TexasBaptists/Document.Doc?&id=1324

Not sure why the Texas Baptists but..

AG all the way man! Every time I pop the top off a 20 cent beer that blows BMC away, I think about how G-hole can kiss my tushie! Their answer here is raise taxes on gas (28 cents over the next 3 years) and beer, and cigarettes (I'm pissed about that and I don't even smoke - legalized drug dealing if you ask me). Well that woman can kiss off cause I'm drinking on the cheap baby! Here's one to you, mole-face

How much more broke will this country get before legalizing and taxing weed see's it's day?

I bet Government's need for cash will soon outweigh the reluctance to legitimize a supposed 'dangerous drug'.

Don't seem like you can squeeze a guy's 'nads much more on cigs, gas and alcohol.

What's left???

Henry Hill said:

How much more broke will this country get before legalizing and taxing weed see's it's day?

I bet Government's need for cash will soon outweigh the reluctance to legitimize a supposed 'dangerous drug'.

Don't seem like you can squeeze a guy's 'nads much more on cigs, gas and alcohol.

What's left???

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Tea anyone??

Tax & Spend, buy more votes, take from the producers and give to the non-producers, socialism at its finest.

EdWort said:

Tax & Spend, buy more votes, take from the producers and give to the non-producers, socialism at its finest.

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There's getting to be less and less "producers" here in Michigan, which is why we're getting squeezed so hard. Automotive jobs are flying left and right out of here (that's the giant sucking sound you may hear coming from the north) and going to who knows where. The Industrial Revolution is dying. Heck, they're even talking about doubling hunting and fishing licenses this year. Just one more excuse to brew more beer. Forget your troubles and feed yourself all at once.

I find it funny that hemp is illegal, with so little THC in it that it would be impossible to get high off it. The money that hemp would bring would be so amazing.

Also, you can't really grow hemp and grow marijuana side by side and hide it. Marijuana is green and hemp is purplish, the only similarity being the shape of the plant and the leaves.

The biggest problem I have with taxes is the F'ers in charge don't know how to spend money properly. The majority is wasted and no one is held accountable.

Chances are it's laundered into officials unofficial retirement fund.

The political party operates better than the Mafioso.

The gov't operates on third party spending - buying things for other people with money that's not theirs. They don't care how it gets spent. Plus, if budgets don't get spent 100% they lose it next year meaning they piss it away at the end. I've seen it happen. My beef is when the money doesn't go for which it is designated. Where is the lotto money going (not to the schools). Just because I like to drink a beer doesn't mean you should take advantage of me. THAT"S why I brew my own. :rockin:

WhatsOnTap said:

AG all the way man! Every time I pop the top off a 20 cent beer that blows BMC away, I think about how G-hole can kiss my tushie! Their answer here is raise taxes on gas (28 cents over the next 3 years) and beer, and cigarettes (I'm pissed about that and I don't even smoke - legalized drug dealing if you ask me). Well that woman can kiss off cause I'm drinking on the cheap baby! Here's one to you, mole-face

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I'm with you. It cost me between $4-$5 a pint for decent brew. Mine at home is everybit as good.

There was just a write up about PA wine, we pay about twice as much as NY for the same product.

I was just reading the other day that early bars in England were just homebrewers' houses that were reputed to have good ale. The "ale wife" brewed the beer, and good ale houses got a reputation, lo and behold people would show up on friday night after work. That guy must have been darn proud of his wife and probably NEVER thought about divorcing her We should kill two birds with one stone and learn a little lesson from the English.

The reason they can get away with putting absurd taxes on booze and not get widespread rioting is because, mostly, of latent effects of prohibition. booze is still seen by many as evil, as something that isn't right. It's not just a factor of how much the taxees will put up with. It's a matter of how much support the pols get from the average idiot public.

In BC beer tax is insane. Something like 70% of the price of a beer.

Ever see the "Married with Children" episide where they raise the beer tax but leave wine alone? Al organizes a city wide riot, torching french restaurants?

I DO think that gov't cares where/how tax money is spent.

Ironically, I think that most tax money is spent to BUY VOTES.

Pork in the present war spending bill, for example. Whatever it takes to make a large enough segment of the population think that you're marginally better than the other Guy.

Funny how they only tax what goes IN, I have never heard of a TP tax! Jerks!

Henry Hill said:

I DO think that gov't cares where/how tax money is spent.

Ironically, I think that most tax money is spent to BUY VOTES.

Pork in the present war spending bill, for example. Whatever it takes to make a large enough segment of the population think that you're marginally better than the other Guy.

Funny how they only tax what goes IN, I have never heard of a TP tax! Jerks!

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Speaking of spending, I received this from my local politician. This is some of what is in the Bill.

The process by which the votes to pass H.R. 1591 were secured is also something that cannot go unnoted. Officially entitled the 'U.S. Troop Readiness Act,' H.R. 1591 contains billions and billions of dollars in spending that has nothing to do with U.S. troop readiness. Extraneous provisions include $120 million for the shrimp industry, $100 million for citrus growers, $74 million for peanut storage, $25 million for spinach producers and handlers, and $35 million for NASA. Total, H.R. 1591 contains $20 billion more in spending than was requested by the President.

I want to know why we are spending $74 Million to store peanuts??

Todd said:

...I want to know why we are spending $74 Million to store peanuts??

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Now that Charles M. Schulz is dead, the government has to store those recycled comic strips somewhere!

Todd said:

I want to know why we are spending $74 Million to store peanuts??

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I'm thinking this is some leftover gov BS from the Jimmy Carter era.

desertBrew said:

I'm thinking this is some leftover gov BS from the Jimmy Carter era.

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The problem with spending is the government has it's hands in everything.

We are not ever going to see liquor taxes and stuff go down. lets just hope they don't try and impose a homebrew fee every year.

Todd said:

Speaking of spending, I received this from my local politician. This is some of what is in the Bill.

The process by which the votes to pass H.R. 1591 were secured is also something that cannot go unnoted. Officially entitled the 'U.S. Troop Readiness Act,' H.R. 1591 contains billions and billions of dollars in spending that has nothing to do with U.S. troop readiness. Extraneous provisions include $120 million for the shrimp industry, $100 million for citrus growers, $74 million for peanut storage, $25 million for spinach producers and handlers, and $35 million for NASA. Total, H.R. 1591 contains $20 billion more in spending than was requested by the President.

I want to know why we are spending $74 Million to store peanuts??

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I read Georgia, Florida, maybe Louisiana, possibly other southern state senators, needed to bring something home to keep their cushy job.

Imagine if politicians SERVED instead of being SELF SERVING. I know, guys like that get shot.

Todd said:

... lets just hope they don't try and impose a homebrew fee every year.

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Our fellow HB'ers in MA would have to throw a Boston Grain Party in the harbor. Floating Maris Otter anyone?

desertBrew said:

Our fellow HB'ers in MA would have to throw a Boston Grain Party in the harbor. Floating Maris Otter anyone?

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That's why I said....


Tea anyone?

I thought the saying changed to:

"Taxation With Representation Ain't So Hot Either"...

zoebisch01 said:

That's why I said....


Tea anyone?

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I don't remember the exact details but wasn't there a moon shine rebellion or something in our not so distanct past in which the government called the national gaurd in to shut it down. The days of changing anything in this country by reason or force are long over with.

zoebisch01 said:

Tea anyone??

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It just hit me that my oldest SIL did the geaneology thing in DC back when it was only microfiche-circa '76, and she discovered that a maternal ancestor was actually on the Boston Tea Party-and probably why I AM so PO'd about this, too. That and/or I'm 50% English (Brown), 37.5% German (Mahlau) and 12.5% Irish (Mims, actually a paternal ancestor in the James Gang or onea them there kinda outlaw groups), which makes me an ornery prick that likes to drink a lot.

zoebisch01 said:

That's why I said....

Tea anyone?

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Doh! Missed that one

Todd said:

The days of changing anything in this country by reason or force are long over with.

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I wouldn't be too sure about that. I live in Texas.

Todd said:

I don't remember the exact details but wasn't there a moon shine rebellion or something in our not so distanct past in which the government called the national gaurd in to shut it down. The days of changing anything in this country by reason or force are long over with.

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If you call 217 years ago "not so distant..."

[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskey_Rebellion"[/URL]

Yeah, don't you just love our stupid governor? Ms Grandstand is now trying desperately to centralize as much power in Lansing as she can. I've served on the local township board for seven years, and along with revenue from the state getting less and less, now they want to abolish township government altogether and control everything at the county level.

I didn't vote for the Bump-Face!

Oregon, raise beer tax, cig tax(no i don't smoke but those sinners in the minority are being taken for a ride by the majority). as of now we have a vibrant microbrew industry, could it be that the low beer tax in Oregon had something to do with that. Unfortunately politicians(used to say dems but was I wrong!all of them) used Marx as an economic textbook instead of Friedman. George Washington learned his lessson in the whiskey rebellion and the lesson has yet to stick.

Lane County, OR , defeated an income tax for the county in Nov 06 and the politicians imposed the same tax without a vote a few months later. they say they need the money, and maybe they do but that is not the point. sheesh!

In Michigan also, there is an attempt being lead by Larry Bell (of Bell's Brewery) along with the Michigan Brewers Assoc. to increase the deposit on kegs to $30. The reasoning is because people aren't returning them or using them for other purposes (see keggles). Scrap prices on kegs runs $between $10-30, where new keg prices are around $135.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702230351

mmmforbiddendonut said:

In Michigan also, there is an attempt being lead by Larry Bell (of Bell's Brewery) along with the Michigan Brewers Assoc. to increase the deposit on kegs to $30. The reasoning is because people aren't returning them or using them for other purposes (see keggles). Scrap prices on kegs runs $between $10-30, where new keg prices are around $135.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702230351

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I'm surprised this hasn't happened before. Honestly charging $10 is so low it is not worth the gas and time to return it..