My New Proposition A Tax Calculator

I just received an e-mail announcement yesterday from the university saying that our always dapper chancellor, Mark Wrighton, will be starring in a television advertisement supporting Proposition A. Since the election is only two months away, I suppose it is time for the campaign to start going strong with both opponents and proponents trying to convince the public to vote their way. I am, of course, strongly for the initiative, but I do hope the campaign is careful how they sell the sales tax increase. I have my own method, by writing up another one of my handy, dandy on-line calculators! Here, my Proposition A Tax Calculator attempts to show how the additional increase in sales tax for most county residents will still be a lot less than the gasoline tax they are currently paying to drive all over the county. I wonder if most county residents realize they are already paying a 0.50% sales tax to support St. Louis County's transportation department, and a current small 0.25% sales tax to help support Metro as it stands. For most residents this "tax increase" will amount to a few dollars a month to support an infrastructure vital for the area's growth and development. I am sure places like St. Lukes Hospital in Chesterfield now realize how important public transportation is to enable their employees to get to work, so hopefully even people living outside the 270 loop will still vote for the proposition. I know on the same ballot the Ladue School district will have a bond referendum to raise money, and I plan on voting for that tax increase too. Hey, when it comes right down to it taxes are helping to pay my own salary too (can you say NASA and NSF grants?). There are worse things in the world than paying more tax.

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