Whether you think Oregon is “beervana”, there is no denying that Oregon is huge in the craft beer world.
So why would a state legislator propose a 1900% increase in the beer excise tax? Okay, Oregon’s current tax is one of the lowest in the nation, but still. And why only beer? As usual, the increased funds are supposed to go for drug and alcohol abuse programs. What, alcoholics only drink beer?
Stoopid.
Here’s a video from CNN:
(a tip o’ the hat to Max)
Less than an hour after I posted news of the new direct wine shipping bill being considered by the Maryland legislature, I come across this:
I have nothing to add to Chris O’Brien’s analysis, except to say that I agree with him. And I’m angry.
Spotted this, of all places, on Polish Business News. It is a simple parable that uses beer to illustrate how taxes in the U.S. are distributed and the effects of tax breaks.
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
Then the proprietor reduces their beer bill by $20, and the article goes on to explain why the richest man got (and deserves) the largest windfall.
