Mythology versus Reality on Sales Tax Referendum versus Higher Property Taxes to Pay for Fire......

Separate facts from mythology if you want to make a cogent argument against everyone sharing in the shouldering of a tax to pay for fire service

Some folks are already attempting to shoot holes through the idea of a sales tax based system for funding fire protection in Escambia County.  They are implying it would harm those who are poor and struggling to pay for food.

But sales taxes are not applied to groceries.  Groceries are exempt. To say otherwise is untrue.

Gas is also exempt from this particular sales tax.  (Don't get me wrong--each gallon of gas is LOADED UP with all kinds of Federal, State, and some Local taxes---but this particluar sales tax is not applied and would not be applied--so this change, in and of itself, will not make gas more expensive for poor people) To say otherwise is untrue.

Other necessary purchases that are subject to taxation that are important to all citizens, (wealthy/middle class/poor)-- such as back to school supplies or hurricane supplies--are frequently given sales tax amnesty periods where no state taxes are applied to applicable purchases.  So with proper planning--- even those sales taxes can be avoided by all consumers in Escambia County.

Yes--big ticket items like automobiles, appliances, furniture--yes these carry a sales tax burden.  But often these taxes can be rolled into the financing deal or a discount equal to sales taxes can be negotiated.

Yes--retail and big ticket purchases are subject to sales tax.  That means if someone is "POOR" and they spend, say, $5,000 a month on non-exempt retail purchases, the total additional sales taxes they would pay if this proposal for a half-penny moves forward by the voters, would be............insert sound of drumroll............   ($25 dollars extra).  (Most truly poor individuals won't even spend $5,000 per YEAR on cash money purchases subject to full taxation--when all exempt purchases they make are taken out of the equation.....)

Here's a couple of newsflashes:

1.  If you are spending $5,000  per month (equalling 60K Yearly) on sales tax applicable non-exempt retail merchandise you probably do not meet any rational definition of  "poor."

2.  If you still, somehow, feel as though you are "poor" and yet can afford to spend $5,000 per month

cash money or financed on sales tax applicable non-exempt retail merchandise excluding gas and grocieries--------you probably would not feel the impact of an additional $25 tacked-on.

It is a de minimis amount applied over time to various purchases that can fully fund the service and:

1.  Ensure EVERYONE pays some portion of our community's fire service protection (visitors, folks transiting the area that stop for a meal or sundries, folks that do not own property or pay any of their income toward rent, folks that use our services and benefit from our services--or work for the county--- but who live and own property in another county, etc. etc.)

2.  Gives every Escambia County Taxpaying property owner a minimum of a $125 tax break (MSBU is eliminated if the tax methods are swapped)

3.  Provides the fire service with MORE revenue yearly so they can provide better, more efficient service

4.  Ends the BCC's General Fund subsidy of the fire MSBU of neary $2,000,000 yearly--freeing up that revenue for important infrastructure projects.

Now, there are others that are saying we "shoudn't do it this way because only one other county does it this way"  That's a weak argument.  Those same folks defend our county's practice of running the jail instead of the county sheriff------when out of 67 counties total we are one of only a few that do it the way we do it.  So are we wrong on this, but not that?  NO.  

That sort of an argument is fallacious, simplistic, and unpersuasive.  A good idea is a good idea--whether one, many, or none implement it.  It's still a good idea. That's the fact of truth that's inescapable to some.