To the Editor:
As reported by Ken Moore (“Meals Tax? Ballot Possibility,” Reston Connection, May 18, 2016), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, not content with having yet again hiked the real property tax, is now looking to squeeze out of taxpayers a wholly regressive meals tax. Where will this end? A personal bed tax next?
As with most Democrat "revenue-enhancement" schemes, the poor will suffer the most: there will likely be kitchen and wait staff layoffs, meals will cost more (a tax on top of a tax), and no bread with your soup.
"Diversified revenue," Supervisor McKay hails the tax, as though it were some kind of blessing. Hunter Mill's Hudgins describes it as a "tool" -- a hammer?
School Board Chairman Hynes, putative principal recipient of the tax proceeds, disingenuously opines: "The community is ready to support this." Which community?
The crocodile-tears mantra intoned by the majority of the Board of Supervisors is that extra revenue "sources" have to be found in order to lighten the load on the tax-burdened homeowner.
Does anyone believe a meals tax will halt rises in the real property tax rate?
Harry Locock
Reston