They have the legal authority to tax. What they do with it is what matters.
And while I am, of course, upset with any new tax proposals, there are some that are MUCH worse than others.
Adding a new tax to the purchase of guns or ammo is bad...possibly not legal (but that would depend entirely on the exact wording of the laws, AND a court's interpretation). It is something that should be fought tooth and nail, politically, before any proposed tax gets to a vote for passage. And still fought afterwards, if passed.
However, proposed taxes on the purchase are not as onerous as other proposed tax schemes that they have tried in the past, and are still, no doubt waiting in the wings for each, and every time they think they might be able to get them passed.
What I am talking about are the proposals about taxing our property (guns & ammo) not at purchase, but yearly, making us pay for the ownership, over, and over. Even a "modest" fee could be a crippling expense for many of us. Particularly if imposed every year. To date, every one of these proposals has been shot down, well short of a vote in our legislatures, but who can say in the future?
There have been proposals to tax us on what we ought to be earning (based on our education levels, or based on rental property, or something else), ignoring reality. College degree? well then you ought to be making $XXX... so your taxes are.. Rental property? $XXXX... not based on what you are actually making, or if the property is being rented, etc. Based on what they thought we ought to be earning...
These get shot down, for cause, but the fact that they propose them, and KEEP proposing them, or similar things ought to be worrisome, at the least.
