This would be enough to get reach for a stiff drink . . . if it weren’t prohibitively expensive. Oregon legislators are proposing a 1900% tax increase so voters not only have to face the economic crisis but do it without beer.
Oregon House Bill 2461, which would impose a $49.61 tax on each barrel of beer produced by Oregon brewers.
The money would go to fund prevention, treatment and recovery programs for those addicted to alcohol and other substances. The increase is meant to fill a $4.15 billion shortfall — the equivalent of roughly four days that we spend on the war effort.
Legislators trying to fill budget gaps across the country can also rely on recent studies showing a correlation between tax increases and sobriety.
. Yet, there has been no study on the political impact of when people finally sober up and realize how legislators in Congress and the states have fouled up the economy. Fortunately, scientists are now working on a pill to erase bad memories.
The tax plan could prove devastating to Oregon’s native beer makers, forcing some to leave the state.
For now, you will at least know the answer to what ales you in Oregon and other states.
For the full story, click here.
As a historical note, the Pacific Coast is where most of the American Craft Brewing revolution started. Oregon also produces a large chunk of US Hops. Last I hear Portland also had more breweries than any other city in the US.
This yax could drive many breweries out of business. Few of the breweries in Oregon are big enough to absorb this kind of tax. This essentially adds a little under a buck per 6 pack. The brewers are faced with raising prices as their costumers have less money, cutting costs, or eating the cost themselves. Cutting costs usually means using cheaper ingredients which would lose any microbrewery costumers. I’m not sure what the profit margin on beer is, but I’d be very skeptical that any small brewery or most medium sized breweries could survive loosing $1.60 per gallon produced.
As one who abstains from alcoholic beverages, I still oppose this tax in these tough economic times. I prefer that there were no cigarettes, cigars, alcoholic drinks—and especially—no illegal drugs whatsoever. However, this tax is excessively unfair; it will cost the loss of some jobs, and then the further loss of justifiably derived tax revenue from that lost income.
“All work and no beer makes Homer go . . . go . . . ”
“Go crazy?”
“Don’t mind if I do!”
Besides if the govmit’ taxes hops out of existence, where will drunks get the inspiration to pen such great inspirational country songs like Johnny Russell’s, ‘Rednecks, White Socks, and Blue Ribbon Beer’…
My favorite is “Homer no function beer well without.” or “Here’s to alcohol, the cause of—and solution to—all life’s problems.”
FFLEO,
Since you are on the source and values of country music as relates to booze, without it, we wouldn’t have Hank Williams, Sr. – one of the finest things to happen in American music of any genre. But then again, we wouldn’t have Hank Jr.’s questionable contributions and shilling for the Bush’s either so I guess it’s a trade off. Maybe Sr. would have ended up as obnoxious as Jr. had he lived longer, but we’ll never know.
While beer may be occasionally free, it would seem that lunch always has a price. And Hank Sr. was a musical steak dinner. And on that note, I’ll leave the flatulence jokes for seamus.
Buddha,
We also wouldn’t have: the Beer Barrel Polka; One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer; Beer Drinkin’ Woman; Sunday Morning Coming Down; In Heaven there is No Beer; Titties and Beer; Roadhouse Blues… the list goes on and on and on.
When it comes to taxes on beer we can all agree that it is a bad thing. there are going to be many lost jobs vis a vis the luxary boat tax a few years ago. once that happens hopefully the politicians will think again and get it right.
below is a link to the TARP bill and it is scary it basically gives the federal government the ability to meddle in any business, I think but I am not a lawyer so I would value any legal input.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/topics/paulsontext.pdf
This one goes out to FFLEO,
There’s a Tear in my Beer…
Gyges,
Glad to hear from you again!
I bet homemade beer kits sales go through the roof in Oregon
Figures these are Democrats doing this.
Funny thing how states are going bankrupt and all Democrats want to do is raise taxes and drive more jobs overseas.
Whiskey Rebellion 2 to start in 3.. 2.. 1..
GM calls Treasury’s bluff
February 15, 2009
When Congress started discussing a bailout for American automakers, critics pointed out that massive loans would do nothing to fix the problems of GM, Chrysler, and Ford. We argued that bailouts would prove counterproductive, as it removed the incentive for the real stakeholders in the company — stockholders, management, and labor — to substantially change their economic model to make themselves more competitive in the marketplace. Two stories bear that out this weekend. First, GM, Chrysler, and the UAW remain stubbornly unable to reach a realistic contract.
Why would neither management nor labor work towards a compromise? They have little incentive to do so as long as third parties keep refilling the bank accounts with cash. The bailout allowed both sides to hold out longer and maintain unrealistic demands, just as I predicted it would. Only when faced with imminent collapse and the loss of millions of jobs will these two sides start acting in the best interests of their business, rather than in the best interests of themselves. The government bailout only delayed the inevitable.
As if to prove that again, GM has now demanded another bailout as the price of continuing talks.
In fact, bankruptcy processes exist for just this kind of situation. Instead of bailing out GM and Chrysler, the government should have stayed out of the situation altogether. If labor didn;t want the companies to declare bankruptcy, they could have negotiated a contract that would have avoided it. Now we have wasted billions of taxpayer dollars to get us right back to the same point we were in the fall.
Obama can’t afford to alienate the unions by cutting the automakers loose. He’ll wind up pushing through another expensive bailout, which will kick the can down the road to about June or July. And once again, we will find ourselves at the same exact point, because the upcoming bailout will do what it did the last time, which is to allow management and labor to avoid making some hard choices about their business model.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result — or perhaps that’s the true definition of Hope and Change.
Invitation to Keith Olbermann
February 13, 2009
NEW YORK, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following is from Betsy McCaughey, Ph.D., the author of the recent Bloomberg.com article, “Ruin Your Health With the Obama Stimulus Plan.”
If Keith Olbermann of MSNBC could defend the health provisions slipped into the stimulus bill on their merits, he wouldn’t be resorting to personal attacks on me. Olbermann calls me a shill funded by the drug industry (2-12-2009). That’s not true.
I am not paid by the pharmaceutical industry or by the Hudson Institute. I hold only an honorary Fellows position at Hudson, and take no money or benefits from it. If Keith Olbermann has the courage, I invite him to debate me on his program.
The Obama administration promised transparency, but gave us a sleight of hand. Slipped into the stimulus bill are provisions that change healthcare in major ways. If these provisions are so good for us, why are they hidden in a stimulus bill and rushed through Congress?
Transparency is not a partisan issue. Good people may differ on their health care views. But who can argue with the fact that the health provisions in the stimulus bill should be removed and offered as separate legislation, so that the nation can consider the long term consequences and make an informed decision?
Mr. Olbermann, do you have the backbone (and the facts) to debate me?
http://health.einnews.com/article.php?nid=601272
(Dem) Feinstein blows our Pakistani cover
At the hearing, Feinstein expressed surprise at Pakistani opposition to the ongoing campaign of Predator-launched CIA missile strikes against Al Qaeda targets along Pakistan’s northwest border. “As I understand it, these are flown out of a Pakistani base,” she said of the planes.
Until now, most people assumed that the US conducted its Predator strikes on Taliban and al-Qaeda targets from bases in Afghanistan. Now, however, Senator Dianne Feinstein has exposed a Pakistani partnership on Predator launches that the previous administration tried to keep quiet. Her offhand remark may put the entire program in jeopardy.
Turley, when is the next time you are going on fatboy Keith Olbermann’s “entertainment tonight” fiasco?
Can you ask him why he is afraid to have an honest debate instead of his regular blather?
Turley, Fatboy Olbermann never addressed the lying under oath Roland Burris tonight.
How come?
Senators Flying on Private Jets To DC = OK; Auto Executives Doing the Same = Bad
Democrat Rep. Henry Waxman: ‘Oversight of the Internet is One of His Top Priorities’
White House to Release GM An Additional $4-Billion To Stay Afloat (UAW VOTE payoff for Dems)
Obama promises Palestinians he’ll protect ‘biblical heartland’
Rasmussen: Just 38% Say Stimulus Plan Will Help Economy, plurality say it was payback for election support.
They can’t do this! I haven’t even gotten to go on my Portland Brewery tour yet!!!
“Greta Garbo(t)Garbage”
You are dumping/littering on the wrong topic.
Yep, it wasn’t my imagination.
The quality of the paid trolls is going right in the toilet. Which is convenient because they won’t have to leave the room to hookup with their GOP masters assuming it’s an airport bathroom.
Greta Von Troll,
You should actually read the nonsense that you are spewing. I hope your paycheck is worth selling yourself to the dark side.
I’ve noticed that greta writes in half-sentences, complementing her thought processes.
Greta:
as a troll myself at least have some of your own thoughts, dont give the rest of us a bad name.
Bron,
You’ve graduated. You woke up. You are no longer a troll. So please don’t think greta-bot there is in the same category. You’re evolving. Trolls don’t. They picked evil and they are staying with it. You have moved into the category of loyal opposition – your goals are not totally out of alignment with those of the regulars (upholding the peace and stability, justice, the rule of law, the promotion of liberty and the inherent rights therein) even if you do differ on methodology. This is evidenced by your changing attitudes and arguments. Plus, I’ll be a dollar she IS really paid based on the bot assisted spammy nature of how she posts. You may have been initially deceived and misinformed, but with her, it’s a career choice. A further example of the mindset that needs to be excluded from process.
No comparison at all. You are now welcome here, not just by me, but by all concerned by what I’ve read – even when there is disagreement. She is not. Nor is she likely to ever change.
Thanks for defending the forum. It’s further evidence of how far you’ve come because I am sure the “Early Bron Age” Bron would have not have given a damn.
Buddha:
thank you that actually means a lot to me. and I most certainly do believe in the rule of law, liberty and fairness. And you are right I am still a free market guy, hope springs eternal in fisherman and capitalists (at the least the kind I envision).
They’re off again attacking Joe Six Pack.
I have an idea for a 1900% tax increase for champagne, private jets, bailouts and unneeded millions you have(/had) in the bank.
Jericho,
To be fair, I don’t think the average Joe Six Pack drinks much beer from Oregon. They tend to be medium to high priced craft brews like Bridgeport (I really like Beer town Brown), Deschutes (My favorite of their beers is their seasonal “Twilight Ale” , Fish, or Rogue (I tend to think Rogue’s over hopped and over priced, but they have a pretty loyal following).
I did a bit of ‘research’ last night, and was dying for an excuse to share it.
JT is on to something, if we tax beer, smokes, drugs and prostitution we will have a moral upright(uptight?) society. By god finally something taxes are good for. What God cant do the government can.
Mespo, is it virtue if you quit because you are taxed?
The only good reason for a society to keep its citizens’ vices cheap and available is because a frustrated, twitched-up, pissed off citizenry is a very dangerous beast. If TV wasn’t the drug of choice of the masses would the Govt. be subsidizing the change-over cost to the public with $40.00 coupons? Keeping us tranked and distracted is the front line against cities in flames
Me, I’m a beer-a-day drinker. It keeps me mellow while I watch/read the news. I wonder how many people out there are just one beer away from revolution?
Bron98:
“Mespo, is it virtue if you quit because you are taxed?”
*************
No, it is virtue only if you assent to be taxed because you quit.
People will just drive across state lines to get beer.
We can’t buy beer at a store on Sundays in Indiana (but we can in a restaurant, how much sense does that make?)
So we will often drive over to Ohio, which is only ten mintues away
Sally:
Ah, restaurateurs have a better lobby than grocers? Hey,ho way to go Ohio!
I think so Mespo, or so it seems!!
This was a funny comment on a novel approach at possible taxation to end the budget crisis by a poster named “oowawa” on the last linked website,
Quote: “bert, I’m ag’in’ it.”
“It’s not hard to home-brew beer. If you’re going to tax sin, there’s plenty of sins more lucrative than beer. If there were only some workable way to tax fornication, the budget crisis would be over.” End Quote
Mespo:
I disagree, there is no virtue in taxation even with ascension.
as in to the cross
Sally,
The Sunday beer thing is the last remnant of the days of Blue Laws which were basically an attempt to legislate the Sabbath.
Also, they’re not taxing the sale of beer, just the production. So the cost of my six-pack of Black Butte Porter is going to go up just as much as the people in Oregon.
Going to a neighboring state for your beer to avoid the tax always happens in these cases. Here in Utah, we often purchase Wyoming beer to avoid the 3.2% weak stuff. Oregon is run by a bunch of socialists anyway.