Several readers responded to Monday’s article about the grocery tax with their own takes. See also longer editorials by Bryan Smith and Carlos Vidales.
Missing from the discussion was the administrative costs to stores and government of maintaining separate tax categories. Traditionally, grocery stores don’t have the profit overhead to throw away on programming into their computers the minutia of which items are taxable or not, or burdening checkout clerks with knowing that.
Removing grocery tax also wastes legislators’ and bureaucrats’ time arguing about the fine points. (Are you going to eat this in the store? So now it gets taxed as a restaurant? Or are you taking it out? Is this hot, roasted chicken you are taking home considered groceries or restaurant?)
As a theoretical morality discussion, it is valuable. But not practical.
Lori
formerly made a living filling out complex sales tax and other government forms
I don’t think it makes any difference. Idaho typically has way lower vehicle registrations compared to other states and if they drop the taxes on food then the difference will be made up somewhere else. Maybe higher vehicle registration.
I say leave it alone.
Dropping property taxes and adding special credits for property owners, farmers and ranchers makes more sense.
Betty Anderson
Property tax is higher in our priorities to eliminate because of all the new construction. All these new people will require MORE of EVERYTHING: police, fire stations, wider roads… not to mention a new jail they’ve been wailing about for several years! And the counties will want to divide the increased cost among ALL properties.
We did not want the growth. In addition to threatening to consume our meager bank account, they are in our way when we get on the road on which we used to see not more than 3 cars all the way to town. Now we sit behind lines of traffic at signal lights that didn’t used to be there. And the county will want us to PAY for it. Our property tax is already 4 times what it was in ’86, when we got here, and they’re not done building, yet.
Sincerely feeling squeezed,
Darryl & Sheila
The Gem State Chronicle publishes letters to the editor weekly on Wednesdays. Submit your own letter to editor@gemstatechronicle.com. The editors reserve the right to publish or decline on a case by case basis, but generally anything that avoids vulgarity or obvious slander will be accepted. Keep it concise!
