The Senate recently passed a measure (SB 759) by a margin of 29-2 to repeal a series of petty taxes upon recommendation by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Liberal Democrat Sens. Sylvia Garcia and Jose Rodriguez were the two who opposed repeal even though levying many of the taxes actually costs the government more to administer than they collect in revenue.
It appears that no tax is too useless for some Democrats. Aside from their arbitrary nature—the Inheritance, Bingo Rental, Combative Sports Admissions and Fireworks Taxes—most are actually counterproductive.
As a result of creating them, the government had less money after they were enacted than before they existed. One would imagine that even liberal Democrats pushing for unlimited government taxation and spending would oppose taxes that cost more to administer than they collect. Remarkably, that isn’t the case.
Appropriate taxes are those levied for an explicit, constitutionally allowable purpose beneficial to the public interest of Texans. They shouldn’t be enacted just to fill up the government’s piggy bank and their administration certainly shouldn’t be a net cost to taxpayers. Otherwise, what the point?
To some Democrats such as Garcia and Rodriquez, it’s clear there really isn’t tax they’ll oppose.
