Another General Assembly Gimmick

Starting this Sunday many items related to Hurricane Preparedness will be Sales Tax Free.  See the list here.

If people won't buy supplies for a Hurricane, and then they are not ready to evacuate when a Hurricane is approaching- I don't think that calls for General Assembly action with the Sales Tax.  There is already a term for that- it's called Darwin's Law.

Comments

[James Young]

How very socially Darwinist of you, Ben.

Can we apply the same rule to spending for those who abuse drugs and alcohol? Drop out of school? Engage in high-risk sexual behavior? Fail to buy health insurance?

Or is it only eschewing taxes that bothers you?

[V]

After just stepping down as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, it looks like John Brownlee may be making his political aspirations known.

The Republican will hold a press conference Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Roanoke County Administration Building to formally announce whether he's in the running as the state's next Attorney General.

Brownlee had served as U.S. Attorney for seven years.

[Not An Anonymous Conservative Concern Troll]

Not to mention the folks in the Valley and Southwest really don't have to worry about hurricanes.

[Not Larry Sabato]

I'd love to know who's bill this was.

What about ammunition?

[Not An Anonymous Conservative Concern Troll]

NLS-

If it was a Delegate from the interior of the state, it would be comic gold.

[anon]

SB 1167 Retail Sales and Use Tax; exemptions include hurricane preparedness equipment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate Patrons
Kenneth W. Stolle (chief patron)
Thomas K. Norment, Jr.

House Patron
Sal R. Iaquinto

[James Young]

Uh, V, what does this have to do with the post?

Aside from the fact that you haven't been paying attention, and he did so at the 11th District GOP Convention on Saturday.

NAACCT said:
"Not to mention the folks in the Valley and Southwest really don't have to worry about hurricanes."

Do you know where the greatest damage in Virginia due to Camille was?

Until you do, STFU. You don't have a fucking clue what you're talking about.

[Not An Anonymous Conservative Concern Troll]

It wasn't a Hurricane strength storm when that rain was dumped on that portion of the state.

So again, people in the western half of Virginia don't get hit with Hurricanes.

[Timothy Watson]

So, let's get rid of the "get ready for school" sales tax exemption gimmick.

You know what? I think Kaine's preschool "initiative" is a gimmick, by the way.

And it cost a hell of a lot more than a sales tax exemption on hurricane supplies.

Get rid of Medicare and Medicaid and Darwin's Law will get rid of about 10% of the country's population (and save billions of dollars)!

Hey, heres a crazy, insane idea:

How about we just have a competent FEMA operation instead?

And your point, NAACCT?

Only ONE item out of those would not be relevant to systems stronger than tropical storm strength (storm shutters). Everything else would reduce damage potential with tropical storms or other systems (e.g. nor'easters). The biggest threat from tropical-origin systems that Virginia faces has been flooding due to the amounts of rain.

And why the hell are you capitalizing "Hurricanes?" They're not proper nouns.

Again, STFU. You don't have a fucking clue what you're talking about.

Correction: I meant to say "Only ONE item would not be relevant to systems *weaker* than hurricane strength."

[Not An Anonymous Conservative Concern Troll]

Floods can happen anytime of the year, related or unrelated to Hurricanes*.

Nice language, BTW. Anger problems much?

*Capitalized just to see if you go into a seething, enraged rant again.

[Not An Anonymous Conservative Concern Troll]

That might have gone over your head so I'll try to translate so you can understand it:

Motherfucking floods can happen any fucking time of the year you shit headed moron! I bet you're just a loser living in your moms basement and probably fucking retarded too! STFU!

There, is that better?

It's a ONE WEEK holiday. Some of you people act like it's a tax holiday that's year round.

It's also titled the "Hurricane AND *Emergency Preparedness* Equipment" holiday.

Get a clue.

[Someone With a Clue]

Its a gimmick.

[Timothy Watson]

"How about we just have a competent FEMA operation instead?"

So FEMA is supposed to come to your house and buy and put up your storm shutters and plastic sheeting?

Are they supposed to make sure you get your 2,000 calories a day with 100% of daily recommended amount of nutrition?

My God, have some damn personal responsibility.

Tell somebody in Virginia Beach during a category 5 hurricane how some plastic sheeting, shutters, and a $20 tax cut is going to help them survive.

I'm sure they'll appreciate the advice.

Yeah Timmy, all those folks in New Orleans needed was some plastic sheeting, shutters, and a $20 tax cut.

That would've totally avoided that disaster.

Improved levees and someone in charge of FEMA who knows something besides Arabian horses? Why, that would be SOCIALISM!!!!

When you build a city below the water level you might expect to be flooded.

Remember it was the democrats that were in charge of that state and had been told for years of the possible disaster.

Sorry to go against the popular socialist culture but the government will never be able to stop a natural disaster.

Some decent foresight in local/state government might mitigate some of the problem, but you kids can’t count on mama government to solve all your woes.

When you build your house on sand, one should not be surprised when it is washed away.

Not too different than the mortgage loan situation and others that people willingly place themselves into, hoping when things turn sour, they will be bailed out with money taken from their fellow citizens.

Factually, the vast majority of folks from New Orleans are much better off now than they were before the hurricane (not even considering the free vacations new jewelry etc. they purchased with the “emergency” funds courtesy of “taxpayer USA”.

[Timothy Watson]

Anon 08:41 PM/08:43 PM:

First, we aren't talking about New Orleans unless we managed to annex the city from Louisiana.

The point of the tax exemption is to promote hurricane/emergency preparedness, just like they do with the tax exemption before school starts.

If the people in New Orleans had some personal responsibility, they would have evacuated instead of having hurricane parties.

And how is Ray Nagin doing with those hundreds of school buses that could have been used to evacuate, by the way?

Its not rocket science. Levees built to withstand a category 5 could have stopped the worst of that disaster. There are entire countries below sea level (Holland). They've kept the sea out for centuries.

But Holland has SOCIALISM!!!! (not really, but right wing morons call it that)

But you're right, all, those people in New Orleans should have known how to build their own damn levees! PARASITES!

Sorry but the real world isn't your Ayn Rand fantasy land where everyone is either a superman or a parasite.

"If the people in New Orleans had some personal responsibility, they would have evacuated instead of having hurricane parties."

Of course, they all had second summer homes to go to and cars to get out of town with. /sarcasm

But capital gains tax cuts I'm sure would've saved the day.