I'll Take the Bus
I'm flying into KC in May, which will makr my first trip into KC since the implementation of the new downtown arena fee.
My quote for a 1 week, full size car rental:
Car: $130
Taxes and fee: $72
Effective tax rate: 55.4%
(cough)
I wrote a letter to the editor of the KC Star on the matter, and I thought it was going to be published (they called me about it), but for some reason it wasn't. So I'm posting it here:
My rental car for an upcoming trip to Kansas City will cost me $202: $130 for the rental and $72 in taxes. Its an absolute outrage that visitors to Kansas City must pay a 55% tax rate on rental cars because Kansas City’s political leaders lack the courage to make tough tax decisions affecting their constituencies. Not all visitors to Kansas City are corporate executives with fat expense accounts; many are former residents like myself who are being gouged when they come home to visit their families.
If Kansas City residents want to build downtown arenas and demand new government programs and services, then they should be made to pay for them. It is the height of political cowardice to pin the costs on the backs of people who don’t even live there.
posted by DL @ 3:49 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
If you don't want to pay the tax, get a cab. This is our city and if we want to force tax on certain purchases, we are at full leasure to do that. The fact that you are still paying for those items, is reassurance to me, that the taxes are a good idea.
Brian
I'm not going to pay the tax. I'm going to borrow a car.
It may be "your city", but the fact is that the vast majority of people who are going to pay the tax had no say in the matter. Its taxation without representation.
That kind of logic would also imply that any sales tax is also improper, because anyone from out of state that might have to pay that sales tax, didn't get any "representation" in voting on that tax. The short of it, your logic is flawed.
I'm also just as fine with you not renting, as I was with you renting, because of all of the anti-arena support all of the rental car agencies provided.
You're also ignoring the fact that taxes on "tourist" items aren't limited to Kansas City. It's something most cities do.
I don't think the sales tax analogy is quite right, but I take your point.
Anyway, my whole point is that it simply stinks to have to pay so much in taxes and fees for one single purchase. I've rented cars in many cities in the US, and one of them have anything close to the fees charged in KC. Nothing I can do about it, no doubt, but I don't have to like it.
Can I borrow your car? ;-)
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