Well, they tax food, so...

[Kat Kanning]

Guess they figure they got to get it coming and going.

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.


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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.''

[Dreepa]

``Two cents is not going to hurt families at all,'' he said. ``This is one thing people don't mind paying for.''

The just never get it.  2 cents here. 5 cents here.

[Lloyd Danforth]

``Two cents is not going to hurt families at all,'' he said. ``This is one thing people don't mind paying for.''

How the Hell does he know if people mind paying?

[AlanM]

What about bidets? Will they be taxed too?

[Kat Kanning]

Noooo!  Not the bidets!  That's the line in the sand...they'd better not tax bidets.

Hey lloyd, is that Lysander Spooner?

[Lloyd Danforth]

Yup!

[BillG]

Hey lloyd, is that Lysander Spooner?

you mean the late, great free market anti-capitalist?