Panel at The Montana League of Cities and Towns pushes new version of local option tourist tax
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| October 10, 2008 |  View for printing |
A Democrat, a Republican and a Chamber of Commerce director walked into a, uh, meeting. Punchline? All three Montanans support a local option sales tax, or tourist tax.
The Montana League of Cities and Towns http://www.mlct.org/ plans to push such a tax harder than ever during the 2009 Legislature, and supporters said Thursday they believe they have a formula that will gain traction and quiet opposition. It includes revenue sharing with areas that don't bring in tourists and - a biggie - it also includes property tax relief.
“It was the No. 1 issue when I was going door to door,” said state Sen. Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, of property tax relief.
By KEILA SZPALLER of the Missoulian
Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/ ... /news03.txt
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Economist: Cut value of homes
By JAMIE KELLY of the Missoulian
Bailout? Bail out whom?
Prosecute? Prosecute whom?
Political talk is cheap and a $700 billion bailout is expensive, but the financial crisis that looms over the United States and the world would be easily undermined with a single course of action: lower the price of homes.
That's the opinion of Lester Thurow, a world-renowned economist in Missoula to help celebrate the opening of the UM business school's Gilkey Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Executive Education and to speak to students about the nation's ongoing financial meltdown.
Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/ ... /news02.txt
Reader Comments:
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"Panel pushes new version of tourist tax." This is nothing new, just another attempt to impose a sales tax on the people of Montana. According to the article, "[Bruce] MacIntyre said the tax would be a way for outsiders to contribute to Montana's economy and that some 10 million tourists visit Montana every year. He said roughly 40 percent of the tax would come from them." So who pays the remaining 60 percent? Answer: one million Montanans. "Tourist tax," indeed! Does Mr. MacIntyre think that tourists who spend their money on goods and services don't contribute to Montana's economy? If his title is Director of Government Affairs for the Billings C of C, etc., I'm glad I don't live in Billings! Come on, Bruce, stop the bureaucratic drivel and call it what it is: a sales tax. I don't want it! If I were a tourist I would not feel welcome in Montana if a "tourist tax" is passed. Instead, we should advertise the fact that we have no sales tax, and suggest tourists bring an empty suitcase (better, yet, buy one here). In December 2006, I did a study on sales taxes in the states and provinces surrounding Montana. You could pay as low as 4% in parts of S. Dakota & Wyoming to as high as 9% in parts of Idaho. In Canada the General Sales Tax is 6%, with a Provincial Sales Tax added to it. You pay 6% in Alberta (no Provincial Tax), 13% in British Columbia, and 11% in Saskatchewan. We are an island of relief in a sea of plunder. Let's keep it that way. |
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