March 11, 200521 yr Sun Sentinel link Pay as you go: Florida lawmaker seeks to tax toilet paper By DAVID ROYSE Associated Press Writer Posted March 10 2005, 6:15 PM EST TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida's Legislature is flush with good ideas. Sen. Al Lawson's involves a 2 cent-per-roll tax on toilet paper to pay for wastewater treatment and help small towns upgrade their sewer systems. The Democratic lawmaker's pay-as-you-go bill has been the source of many jokes -- bathroom humor you might say -- but he says the issue is a serious one, especially in some of the fast-growing Panhandle coastal counties in his district. "They're experiencing a tremendous boom in growth and they're not able to accommodate the growth,'' Lawson said. "We've got 17 million people in this state and all of them can contribute to protecting our underground water supply.'' In a Republican-dominated Legislature that doesn't like new taxes, the idea is likely to pretty quickly end up in the tank. Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon, said he didn't think it would get too far, but didn't rule it out. "We'll be getting to the bottom of it real soon,'' Lee said. The House is skeptical as well. "We're not wild about tax increases,'' said House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City. ``But we'll certainly let it go through the system.'' If it were to pass, the extra two pennies would start being charged in October. Lawson said it could generate $50 million a year. It would also need approval from Gov. Jeb Bush. He said that if toilet paper is taxed, people might use less of it. "That's not necessarily a good thing,'' noted the governor. And what about consumers? Wouldn't they be squeezed by a tax on the Charmin? No, says Lawson. "Two cents is not going to hurt families at all,'' he said. "This is one thing people don't mind paying for.'' Good comedy. It's about time the public started coughing up $$ to use the soft stuff. :thumbup
March 11, 200521 yr Sure, why not? Although it sucks for me because I have IBS 707372[/snapback] You don't live in Florida psuedo-queer.
March 11, 200521 yr Suppose I visit, hetero person 707378[/snapback] Your IBS would severly restrict your travelling I would think.
March 11, 200521 yr Just won't be anymore TP sold in FL. There will be a lot of facial tissue sold in roll format.
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