RSS

Sin tax

Don't Fear the "T" Word

Raising taxes is supposed to be political suicide. Governors Jerry Brown and Martin O'Malley are proving otherwise.

Abby RapoportMar 15, 2012
(Flickr/Laura Filmore)

You don’t have to be a genius to know the basics of running for office: Look sharp, love America, take in big money, and—most important—promise you won’t raise taxes. Thanks to Grover Norquist and his band of anti-tax crusaders, raising taxes has come to seem akin to murdering puppies and loving terrorists. Even during the worst fiscal crisis in 80 years, if you’re a state lawmaker, you must cut core government programs without ever mentioning the “T” word. And if, God forbid, you decide to raise taxes anyhow, do everything you can to distract people from the effort. Openly calling for citizens to pay more to their government is nothing short of political suicide.

The Truth About Sin Taxes.

Monica PottsSep 21, 2010

Though I ultimately disagree with her conservative takeaway, I actually found myself agreeing with much of Katrina Trinko's argument that sin taxes -- taxes on everything from cigarettes to soda -- are politically cowardly and cheap:

That's because during this recession, politicians are increasingly resorting to sin taxes to help close budget gaps. Aware that Americans, facing high unemployment and underemployment, won't rush to support (or re-elect) those who raise income taxes, politicians are devising less obvious ways to boost revenue. Raising fees on government services is one such way; increasing or instituting sin taxes is another.