My wife and I recently had a wonderful 50th wedding anniversary and celebrated at a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. We were given a special rate ($79 per night for a two-night stay + $10 per night for parking) and very satisfied with all the amenities and our visit in general.
When we received our invoice upon checkout, we found that our $178 two-night stay had expanded to a total of $241.44.
That was an effective tax rate of about 27%.
The various taxes were:
Room Tax State Sales Tax 7%
Room Tax Local 2.75%
Room Tax Hotel Occupancy 6.70%
Toom Tax TDZ (I have no idea what this is for) 5%
Parking Tax 9.75%
Parking Tax TDZ 5%
Resort Fee $10.95
Add it up and it came to a grand total of $63.44 in TAXES for a two-night stay in the hotel.
So before we allow our federal, state and local taxing authorities to increase our taxes, I suggest that we look at all the taxes we already pay and I say we’re taxed enough already.
That’s why it’s my practice to vote against all tax increases, no matter how “good” the beneficiaries paint the tax to be.
Bureaucrats and politicians will always find ways to spend more money than we sent them.
Ronald Reagan said about government, “Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.”
And, like diapers, politicians and bureaucrats need to be changed and thrown out on a regular basis.
The solution is Term Limits for all political offices and severe and enforceable restrictions on lobbying for a period of time equal to the time they held office.
And that’s all I have to say about that…..
Business Brokers
