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Wood tax slips through legislature

September 4, 2012

A new tax on lumber was passed by California lawmakers over the weekend with the full support of the timber industry. (Sacramento Bee)

The 1 percent increase proposal by Gov. Jerry Brown won approval by the barest of margins, 54-20, with only one Republican backing it. The bill includes provisions limiting wildfire liability for individuals and entities. Timber interests were comfortable with the proposal because it eliminates substantial regulatory fees the industry now shoulders.

The tax, applied to the consumer end of lumber sales within California, is expected to raise $30 million annually to pay for regulatory oversight, including the Department of Fish and Game’s timber harvest review program.


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If this new wood tax is based on board foot, I’m in for a big tax bill.


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Now that the timber industry won’t shoulder the burden of regulatory fees, are they going to lower the price of lumber?

NOT.


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But whose fault is that? Not capitalism! It’s “crony capitalism.”


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Is it ever going to end? Another tax for the people but not by the people. Now we have the Fish and Game getting into our pockets along with CDF, The Parks have already done it by hiding their money. I hope we don’t forget all of this when it comes to voting no for any tax increase in November. I have yet to see a politician make any effort to reduce their spending only that they want more in order to keep those pensions rolling in.

It’s almost time to take a page out of Ronald Reagans playbook and fire them all (air traffic controllers). It would be amazing to see how many more qualified people would line up for the vacant jobs at a much reduced cost to the taxpayer. Could efficiency in government ever become a dream come true? I doubt it.


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These problems you mention come from the top down. Low-level State Park employees are not overpaid and Fish & Game employees are badly overworked. (Try to get one by phone if you don’t believe me).


The most obscene bloat in government costs is in administration. But the mantra is that “you have to pay to get quality administrators.” I strongly question whether the difference in quality is justified by the pay levels. Changing this, by itself, might not be enough to bring balance to the state budget, but it would set a meaningful example which would help make the point at lower levels about the relative monetary value of some skills.


It seems that too many politicians have a hard time putting the screws to the smooth-talking, upper-level types they see frequently at the Capitol. They are probably also socializing with them at events and on the golf course. There would be nothing wrong with that if they had the character to ask hard questions about operations and costs and just say “no” to weakly justified budgeting requests. Unfortunately, that character does not dominate in most politicians.


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Maybe that kind of talk was what got Dutch shot.


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Gee,


Aren’t we overdue for all these honest politicians to vote themselves a pay raise or will they wait for the next long weekend when they think no one is watching?


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This will make it just that much harder for people to build the affordable housing that the State of California says they want built.


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OMG. Where was the Tea Party on this? Who’s in trouble if Grover finds out?


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Passed over the weekend.? Maybe they can slide the train to no where project thru next weekend. But… remember We elected these people.


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What do you mean WE? Nobody I vote for ever gets elected!


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Shelworth………….. Yes Your right…. Federal, State, County, or even local…… Nobody ! Im a third generation Californian and Elections are won by the recently got-here liberals, work permiters, and long term visitors. Maybe it’s time to move out of Dodge.


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You should hear what you sound like, p-cal; a real American, all right …Work permiters? Voting? Not…Long term visitors? If they are here long enough to register to vote, they have a right to. And, oh, you are an anoited third generation? I’m second generation (my parents from Washington & Arizona) born in California 61 years ago, but I’m a recently-got-here liberal? I’m not entitled to an opinion, I guess….My suggestion to you: see a doctor about getting your head removed from your orfice. By all means, please, help improve California and move out of Dodge…


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Correction….. If Your Parents were born in Washington State and Arizona… You My friend are a first generation Californian. From Your chatter…. You have found a home in California and will fit in quite nicely here !


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photocal says:

“Im a third generation Californian and Elections are won by the recently got-here liberals, work permiters, and long term visitors.”


“In clinical psychology and psychiatry, an unrealistic, exaggerated, or rigidly held sense of entitlement may be considered a symptom of narcissistic personality disorder, seen in those who “because of early frustrations…arrogate to themselves the right to demand lifelong reimbursement from fate.””


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Austerity is a better road traveled.


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Let the government travel the road of “austerity.”


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More taxes, more regulations.


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Try reading the article: “Timber interests were comfortable with the proposal because it eliminates substantial regulatory fees the industry now shoulders.” duh.


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And moves the fees onto the end user. Just remember when you see housing prices go up (AGAIN) in a state that already has high prices, don’t be the first to bitch about it.


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And you don’t think that the lumber companies already add the fees onto the price of their product? Are you naive enough to think that the fees were paid out of CEO pay, shareholders profits, or some other altruistic manner?


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No you are right the fees where probably already added. And do you think they will lower them now? NOT.


Then you also have the fee that will now be added on top of it so it is mostly doubled. Thanks for pointing out my mistake and proving that housing prices will continue to go up.


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More tired and overused slogans driving the thinking person to drinking.


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