Watching the contortions of other states attempting to balance the budget with strategies already proven to fail, their tax rates and details are noteworthy, as in this article --
The legislation would levy a 34 percent state tax, a 1 percent host-county tax and a one-time licensing fee on casinos that choose to offer table games. The fee would range from $7.5 million for resort casinos, which could have up to 75 game tables each, to $20 million for stand-alone casinos, which could have as many as 200.
The taxes and fees would raise about a quarter of the $1 billion in new revenues needed to fund a $27.9 billion state budget proposal.
The legislation would levy a 34 percent state tax, a 1 percent host-county tax and a one-time licensing fee on casinos that choose to offer table games. The fee would range from $7.5 million for resort casinos, which could have up to 75 game tables each, to $20 million for stand-alone casinos, which could have as many as 200.
The taxes and fees would raise about a quarter of the $1 billion in new revenues needed to fund a $27.9 billion state budget proposal.
Notable among the comments --
"Gambling has proven to be a real nice revenue source for Pennsylvania ... but it's not quite the money tree that you all might think it is," said Rep. John Pallone, D-New Kensington. "It's a business like any other business, and we can't overly tax it so bad that gaming will leave the commonwealth and then we'll have nothing."
Oh? What other business mandates the oversight, enforcement and regulatory structure? Is there any other business that brings with it an increase in crime and addiction and family destruction?
The novelty will wear off, Rep. Pallone, and you will find yourself in the position of being forced to promote addiction to conceal the real costs of predatory gambling.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment