It's A Taxing Life!

By Tom Morrow

  For those you who pay attention to such things, taxation is everywhere and we seldom realize just how much we pay day-to-day, especially here in California.

  Take, for example, our utilities statement. Ever add up all the little pennies we're charged each month? Here's what I pay, and I'll bet most of you do to:
  Gas fees: Public purpose program, .89 cent; State regulatory fee, .01. On electricity, I pay a DWR bond charge (whatever that is), $3.23; Franchise fee, .05 cents; State surcharge, .19 cents; State regulatory fee, .16 cents. Total fees (taxes) on my SDG&E bill: $4.56.
  Now that doesn't seem much, but if that amount holds monthly, it adds up to $54.72 yearly.
  But we're not done. Here's more.
  For those of us on cable for our TV and Internet service, there's all sorts of charges.Cox dings me $3.49 usage fee, (I gotta pay 'em so I can pay 'em?); other taxes, fees and surcharges: $9.73.That's a total of $13.22 in taxes and "fees" monthly, or $158.64 annually.
  There's more.
  Cell phone service is something 95 percent of us use. This is where it really gets good and mysterious. Sprint collects the following from me each month: $2.37 for Federal-Universal service access (non-I.D.); .11 cents for the State PUC user fee; $3 for an "administrative" fee; .80 cents for a regulatory fee. And, while all of that seemed like State and Federal government fees, under a separate section the following is listed for "Government Fees & Taxes: .24 cents for State 9-1-1 tax; .13 cents for State high cost B & Adv fund; .18 cents for State high cost part A; .10 cents for State relay service fund; .07 for "other" State taxes and fees; .27 cents for State Tele charge; and .55 cents for State Universal Lifeline service charge. That amounts to $7.55 monthly or $90.60 yearly.
  I'm now up to $303.96 annually in taxes and fees for utilities, cell phone, and cable.
  Of course we all have varying amounts we pay for State sales taxes, Federal excise taxes, and, of course, the biggie in our lives: the per-gallon state and federal gasoline taxes. You can figure that amount out for yourselves. Gas alone will be a whopping amount.
  Thanks goodness we Californians don't have to pay sales taxes on food. But, give the lawmakers in Sacramento enough time and that could change.
  Needless to say, it costs a lot of money to live in California. Each of us have to decide whether it's worth it. Frankly, I wouldn't live anywhere else, but that doesn't mean I can't "b---h" a little.

  I TOLD YA SO -- Over the years in my newspaper column, and more recently in this corner of the Internet, I pointed out to Oceanside residents the need for primary elections and eventually "districting" for city council officials. Our first attempt (we'll be back) at primaries didn't quite make it, but it would seem that districting will happen whether those "aginers" like it our not. I refer you to two recent articles in the U-T San Diego newspaper about an upcoming law suit in Escondido, and the threat of more in other County cities such as Vista, San Marcos, and Imperial Beach. Can Oceanside be far behind? The most recent article can be found on Page A-5 of Sunday's U-T.

  SHAMELESS PROMOTION -- My latest novel release, "Nebraska Doppelganger," is now available at all Barnes & Noble bookstores, Amazon.com, and online in both paperback and e-book format.
  My wife will appreciate any and all book sales so that I may keep in the lifestyle to which she'd like to become accustomed.

Stay tuned...