Proposed resort tax too pricey to afford

Nobody likes paying taxes. People like paying higher taxes even less. But La Crosse county is asking voters to approve an additional sales tax, that would add an additional half cent tax to a number of purchases. That question will be on the ballot in the April election, asking La Crosse county voters to approve what is called the Premiere Resort Area Tax. It is billed as a tax on tourism related items, but in reality it would be charged on just about everything we buy. The money it would raise they tell us would be used to repair our bumpy roads, but it could also be used for many other things. There is no guarantee we would get better roads even if this were to pass. La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat has come out against this tax, calling it regressive, and unaffordable. It is estimated this tax would add an additional $142 in tax burden per household, per year. Now is not the time to raise taxes. Local governments have done a good job holding the line on taxes in recent years. Given that we can’t afford this new tax, that it would apply to purchases well beyond just tourism, and that there is no guarantee the money raised would go to what they say it would, this proposal is a bad idea. Now is not time time to raise taxes.