I wrote not long ago about how ridiculous New Mexico’s back to school tax holiday is because there is little rhyme or reason to the exemptions. Well, leave it to Santa Fe City Council to top that absurdity:
The City of Santa Fe, New Mexico, has a budget shortfall of $200,000 that it needs to fill. Every city, county and state faces this dilemma, and there are only two policy options: cut spending or raise taxes. To no one’s surprise, the city council has chosen to raise taxes, but people should be surprised at the dreadful choice of tax the council has made. Instead of a tiny hike in a broad-based tax that most people in the city pay, it has chosen to violate every principle of sound fiscal policy by raising taxes on specific “unhealthy” products.
Yeah, that’s brilliant.