Friday, June 5, 2009

Politics: taxes and health insurance

Yesterday I got something from my union telling me that the state representatives are trying to increase our health insurance premiums. Instead of only paying 20%, they want us to pay 25% or 30%. Today I got an email from Directv telling me that the state reps want to add a 5% tax to my satellite tv bill (I can't get cable where I live). A coworker sent me a news article saying that the state reps also almost eliminated 2 of our holidays- our 2 floating ones where we have to be open on those days, but we're encouraged to take the day off to honor the holiday if we can (and if we can't, then we get another day off). Plus of course, I think the state has already said it IS going to raise the sales tax, and probably the gas tax too.

All of this means less money in my wallet of course. I understand the state needs money, but come on! I'm not getting a pay raise, I don't make megabucks to begin with, and we're already on one car for our family.

Go ahead, raise the sales taxes, and raise the meals and hotel taxes too if you want. I'm not going to have any money left to buy anything or go out to eat anyway. We've already been cutting those things, and we'll just continue to cut them. But please, leave my health insurance and tv alone. I'm not in favor of the gas tax increase, but I know they'll do it anyway. I have to use gas to get to work, to preschool, and to the grocery store, and to the library (since we can't afford to buy books anymore). We'll just keep it to a minimum, as much as we can.

And maybe someday, someone will decide that those of us who live in small towns deserve high-speed internet. Then they can tax us for that too!