Hidden Taxes Hurt Consumers, Erode Faith in Honest Government

North Carolina Citizens for a Sound Economy

RELEASE

http://www.cse.org Monday, June 26, 2000

CONTACT: Chuck Fuller (919) 807-0100

ALERT: SB 1463 to be SCORED VOTE

Hidden Taxes Hurt Consumers,

Erode Faith in Honest Government

RALEIGH–North Carolina CSE announced today that its members will “SCORE VOTE” SB 1463, the Dare Utility Undergrounding Amendments. The Senate is expected to approve the legislation today and the House Finance Committee will take up the issue tomorrow.

The legislation is a back door through which new taxes can be assessed on consumers in Dare County. North Carolina CSE will release its Taxpayer Scorecard this fall to rate all members of the North Carolina General Assembly on their votes related to important taxpayer issues.

The legislation authorizes the creation of new utility districts–each of which would have the power to levy new taxes on consumers of electric power and telephone services. Monthly electric and telephone bills for residential consumers could each rise as much as a dollar while commercial bills could jump as much as five dollars a month.

“This new tax would hit consumers every month when they pay their bills and every time they go to the store or to a local business. Local businesses will pass the new tax burden straight through to consumers,” said Chuck Fuller, Director of North Carolina CSE.

“Politicians who hide fees, assessments, charges, and all manner of taxes from consumers erode our faith in an honest government.” Fuller continued, “Some folks will pass this off as an ‘assessment.’ Well, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it might be a duck. When the legislature creates new government entities with the authority to levy taxes on the 28,400 permanent residents of Dare County, no North Carolina consumers are safe.”

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North Carolina CSE is an affiliate of Citizens for a Sound Economy, the 250,000-member non-profit organization advocating free-market solutions to public policy problems. The more than 12,300-strong North Carolina Chapter of CSE was established in 1999 to bring the message of limited government, lower taxes, and reduced regulation to policymakers in North Carolina.