"tax" news and stories

A number of news sources are reporting this morning that five Oregon state lawmakers have proposed a 1,900% increase in the state's tax on beer -- an increase that opponents are calling the single largest beer tax hike in the nation's history.

The numbers speak for themselves: Currently, the excise tax on beer in Oregon is $2.60 per barrel. If these legislators have their way, that tax would be raised to $49.61 per barrel. In a CNN video, Kurt Widmer of Portland, Oregon's nationally recognized craft brewer, Widmer Brothers Brewery, says that could amount to an increase of $2 - $4 per six pack.

Oregon ranks next to last among states in its malt beverage taxation rate which hasn't been raised since the 1970s -- probably one of the many reasons why Oregon has such a healthy number of breweries to begin with, featuring award-winning and highly recognizable names such as Rogue Ales, Hair of the Dog and Full Sail (among a laundry list of others). So yes, though a tax hike might bring in more revenue to a state that desperately needs to close a budget gap during these tough economic times, such a price increase could also reduce sales, raising the possibility of lost jobs, which certainly wouldn't help the Oregon economy.

It's the kind of economic riddle being debated all across the country as America tries to dig itself out of its economic crisis. If you happen to have such a conversation over a beer brewed in Oregon, it's one more reminder that no one is immune from the hardship.

[via kgw.com and CNN.com]

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This is the weekend, y'all.

If you're like me and, I am suspecting, tons of other people out there who have procrastinated for the last few weeks, you're on a mission-critical path to get your taxes done before the April 17 deadline. No time to waste, and no time to...cook!

Thankfully, you can run over to Mexican fast food chain Chipotle, grab a burrito on April 14th or 15th to get you through your 1040, and on April 16, take your receipt for that burrito back to Chipotle for a free burrito!

A free burrito is going to sound good, too, if you owe the IRS like me!

A nutrition study conducted by Barry Popkin, of the Department of Nutrition and Economics at the University of North Carolina, has determined that the number of overweight or obese people in the world outnumber the starving, with approximately 800 million starving/near starving and 1.3 billion overweight people. Popkin has also followed the lives of more than 15,000 people in China for the past 17 years, noting that none of them were obese when his study started, but nearly 25% are now. Using this as a baseline for other countries, Popkin points a finger at a "considerable" drop in the consumption of cereals (grains) and an increase in the consumption of fats, what he calls a "classic Westernization pattern".

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Now that tax day - April 15th - is safely behind us, it's time to celebrate a little. Even if you don't feel like celebrating, at least have a drink and allow yourself to remember that you won't have to do this again for another year. Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal, here's a recipe thats perfect for the occasion:

Income Tax Cocktail
1 oz. gin
3/4 oz. fresh orange juice
1/4 oz. dry vermouth
3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
dash of bitters

Combine and shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and serve with an orange wedge (or a cherry) and a sigh of relief.

[Image Liquor World, where there is a slightly different recipe]

The City of Oakland, located just across the bay from San Francisco, has passed legislation to place a tax on the businesses that it believes create the most trash. The tax will not be determined on waste created in the ordinary operation of a store or restaurant, but on the amount of litter that is generated by the sale of goods. The city's legislators agree that fast food restaurants and other stores that sell convenience foods need to be held socially responsible for the litter that is caused by patrons failing to properly dispose of the wrappers and other food packaging. The tax would pay for crews to remove litter, mainly from areas around schools and bus stops. A council woman said, "You can see the paths students take to lunch by the trail of litter."