Bush’s ubiquitous tax increases

Just to follow up for a moment on yesterday’s post about Bush’s tax increase on ammunition, I wanted to add that “user fees” (read: taxes) are, under the White House budget, poised to go up all over the government.

According to the Office of Management and Budget, Bush’s 2006 budget includes:

* A proposed fee increase on explosives costing taxpayers $120 million.

* A new fee for circuses, animal dealers, research facilities, which would pay a new fee for government monitoring of their treatment of animals, totaling $11 million.

* Producers of meat, poultry and egg products would pay a new fee to subsidize food inspections during overtime shifts, costing $139 million.

* Alcohol and tobacco producers would pay a new fee to finance education, testing and other “protect the public” efforts, totaling $29 million.

* Federal recreation areas would impose new fees, costing taxpayers $9 million, to help offset modernization costs for the Army Corps of Engineers.

This comes on top of new fees on air travelers to help pay for airport security, and a new health care tax on injured veterans who need prescription drugs.

But every time the administration insists it’s merely increasing “user fees,” we should call them what they are: Bush’s new tax increases. When the government requires citizens to pay money to the state to finance a government service, it’s a tax. That’s essentially the definition of a tax.

Bush swore up and down that he’d never raise taxes, but left with few choices, he’s decided to embrace “fee increases.” By the rules created by Republicans, this president is raising taxes. The more people are reminded of this fact, the better.