It is being widely reported that many American families now consider fast food to be a luxury. This has historically been the “go to option” for us all as we drive to Grandma’s, or the beach.
Just as Joe Biden has doubled the cost of the gas we need to get there, so he has doubled the cost of the food we need to get there.
He proudly calls it Bidenomics. He’s demented; a senile old man who belongs in a nursing home, not the White House.
Sadly, we are the victims of his dementia.
At least in our own state we can slightly mitigate the effects of his policies. Unlike most states, we must pay a Sales Tax whenever we buy our food. Tax on food is extremely regressive because it not only hurts everyone who eats, it really hurts the low income young working families who are struggling to put good food on the table. Or any food.
When Sales Tax was imposed in North Carolina, food was naturally exempted – until a Democrat Governor named Terry Sanford (thereafter infamously known as “Food Tax Terry”) decided to impose this burden on low income people.
But the folk around in 1961 need not have worried, because “Food Tax Terry” promised them that the tax on groceries was just a temporary measure, to get the state through one of the cash crunches that always seem to occur under Democrat control.
He lied – unless 63 years is “temporary”.
Our state’s finances are in great shape at the moment. We have budget surpluses!
If this is not the time to finally repeal this iniquitous tax, when is? If not now, when?
Food Tax repeal will help all North Carolinians who eat, and particularly those of us who are finding it hard to feed our families, but who work to pay our own way. Food Stamps recipients do not pay the tax, by directive of the Federal Government. This is another way in which working families are penalized.
If Mark Robinson (or Josh Stein) had any political instincts, he’d make Food Tax repeal part of his campaign for Governor.
And he’d win.
Austin Morris
GREAT LETTER AUSTIN. Since EVERYBODY eats food-I hear you can die without eating food-a food tax really hurts seniors, the disabled, the homeless, people living at or below the poverty line and anybody or any family that is struggling to survive. Add to that, Democrat Guilford County Chairman ole Skip Alston wants a Prepared Food Tax so that every time you go to any fast food restaurant, aside from paying $10 for a Big Mac, you will be slapped with an ADDITIONAL Prepared Food Tax! By the way, he also wants to increase the sales tax by 1/4%. Thankfully ole Skippy can’t create a new Prepared Food tax without approval from the state legislature. That seems unlikely but make sure your representative knows what you think. Skippy can’t increase the sales tax without voter approval. Three times voters have rejected Ole Skippy’s quest for more of our money. I guess some people never learn.
THANK GOD for CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS. If the dems keep control of Guilford, you better keep a close hold on your wallet. VOTE EVERY DEMOCRAT OUT OF OFFICE. Then when Republicans win, hold their feet to the fire to make sure they don’t start spending all of your money.
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Thanks Ken.
Taxing the groceries people have to buy is just not right.
It’s past time to repeal a tax that was imposed as a temporary measure – – in 1961.
Austin still thinks Presidents control the price of gas. So, is Biden old and sleepy or is he such a master mind that he magically controls global oil markets as a means to punish his enemies who like to drive cars? Or maybe, just maybe there are multiple factors other than Biden that drive the price of fuel (and drive food prices, for example, the increase in cost of fertilizer due to war in Ukraine).
You seem to ignore the cuts in taxes already scheduled. For example, NC dropping corporate taxes to 0% by 2030 and personal income taxes will drop to 3.99% by 2026. These alone will remove $13 billion annually from the $34 billion annual state budget. Removing the restaurant tax would remove even more from the budget. This will of course most impact public schools. But conservatives don’t care because wealthy voters send their kids to private school.
I agree dropping any food or restaurant tax would be better than dropping corporate or private income tax rates but conservatives haven’t shown much concern for lower income families in a loooooong time.
But you be you.
Incoherent drivel.
But you be you.
I provide real data and of course you call it drival because we know how conservatives feel about facts and truth. Lol
But you be you.
Your confusion is obvious. Your reference to ” the restaurant tax” – whatever that is – and your other deflections and digressions serve to display your illogic.
My letter addresses the NC Sales Tax on groceries, it’s history, it’s effects, and why now is the time to repeal it.
Nothing else.
Can you understand that?
I was saying you SHOULD have included the income tax reductions given the impact they will already have on the State budget. Then I actually agreed with you from the perspective of food and restaurant bills taxes (the rates are very different for groceries versus the sales tax you pay at a restaurant).
Keep up. You will learn something. lol
Chrissy thinks his job is to educate me, you, and everyone here.
Or…and I’m just spit balling here. The government could start spending less money.
Dang it Don you really need to be careful what you say, people in government may start having heart attacks just thinking about that
My “temporary “ presence here on earth is longer than we’ve had a grocery tax and I have never seen a more spendthrift Council as we now have in Guilford County and Greensboro.
Accountability is needed now!
Great points but I doubt that would even be considered , especially in Guilford county.
Since the vestigial amount of Sales Tax is redistributed to the counties but collected by the state, it would need to be a state initiative.
It is obviously politically difficult to deprive counties of revenue, but it would be feasible for the state to wean them off by using a glide path by which the tax was incrementally reduced over 4 years, with the state subsidizing the loss for a while.
Any gubernatorial candidate who committed to tax free food would win by a landslide.
And that’s the realpolitik way to do it.