TRS had a great trip over to the Japser County GOP Central Committee meeting tonight. Much good work was done by the Jasper County Republicans. Those guys continue to be one of the most organized of Iowa counties.
Chairman Eldon Pals brought the important local issue of a new casino in Newon before the committee. Perhaps more on this hot topic in the coming days. It was good to see the kind of productive discussion that the Jasper County folks held last night.
Rep. Jim Van Engelenhoven of Marion County provided an update on the Democrats’ misdeeds with your money and freedom during the early days of this 2008 General Assembly. Though hardly the most significant of the calamitous policy the Dems have already advanced this year, one budget scam best illustrated the omnivorous and insatiable need for your money that the socialist nanny state requires.
Jim reported that Gov. Chet “Big Lug” Culver has not abandoned his desire to tax holidays. As the reader will recall, last fall the the Big Lug attempted to add sales tax to Halloween Jack-o-lanterns. This year the scheme is to require all gift certificates sold in Iowa to have and bear expiration dates. Upon expiration without redemption the merchant would be compelled to send the money to the State.
Of course, such a scheme would make it harder to redeem gift certificates while probably garnering rather modest sums of money for the state. There is truly no stone that Democrats will leave unturned in their search for the PIN code to your wallet.
Chairman Eldon Pals brought the important local issue of a new casino in Newon before the committee. Perhaps more on this hot topic in the coming days. It was good to see the kind of productive discussion that the Jasper County folks held last night.
Rep. Jim Van Engelenhoven of Marion County provided an update on the Democrats’ misdeeds with your money and freedom during the early days of this 2008 General Assembly. Though hardly the most significant of the calamitous policy the Dems have already advanced this year, one budget scam best illustrated the omnivorous and insatiable need for your money that the socialist nanny state requires.
Jim reported that Gov. Chet “Big Lug” Culver has not abandoned his desire to tax holidays. As the reader will recall, last fall the the Big Lug attempted to add sales tax to Halloween Jack-o-lanterns. This year the scheme is to require all gift certificates sold in Iowa to have and bear expiration dates. Upon expiration without redemption the merchant would be compelled to send the money to the State.
Of course, such a scheme would make it harder to redeem gift certificates while probably garnering rather modest sums of money for the state. There is truly no stone that Democrats will leave unturned in their search for the PIN code to your wallet.
15 comments:
Sporer criticizes an idea that "probably garner[s] rather modest sums of money for the state."
Probably? In other words, you don't know, do you? Does it even matter to you? Would you support it if it involves a LOT of money? You have an opinion without having any facts.
What happens to the money now? "Probably" enriches the vendors. They Probably need it. Call it their own version of a tax on lost papers.
But really, Sporer, Is this an "ominous" sign of a "super nanny state" , one of the "Democrats misdeeds with your money and freedom" which reflects an "omnivorous and insatiable need for your money"? Have you lost all your perspective?
If someone loses or forgets about a gift card, why should the BigBox Store get the windfall? Let's use it to pay the Governor's salary.
Now I've been doing your work for you, Mr. Lawyer Blogger Alarmist. Looks to me (see Iowa code Chapter 556) like this money already goes to the State of Iowa. So the bill is just re-arranging the details by putting an expiration date on the gift certificate instead of using the statutory 3 year wait now required.
Much ado about Nothing. Typical Sporer.
Wow, looky that up there. Another democrat who apparently doesn't earn his own money and relies on the state for his income.
Only victims are democrats. Hillary wants to help you out since you are so helpless.
Do you care what the state does with the money? Do you care how much these State of Iowa democrat policies hurt the poor?
The bottle bill is the biggest tax increase to come along in a long time against the poor. It's a 20% tax increase on water, milk, juice and anything that comes in a can or bottle.
The big fat lug Culver sure doesn't care about poor kids does he? As long as he can "spruce" up the state for us. It makes it all worthwhile.
The Governor obviously did not think this one through. Many stores are national chains. It might be easier to opt out of selling/accepting gift cards in Iowa rather than having them expire with the profits from the card's sale being forfeited to the state. The store would rather see the card bearer walk through their doors and likely spend at least the face value (likely more) outside Iowa rather than hand over profits. There are 49 other states in which people shop. What's next - all returns are credited to the state!?!
Sara in Florida
Spotlight starts with a bad premise. The premise that the state is entitled to ALL of your money, the quicker the better. You are damm lucky to have ANY of your own money to spend.
Quit your bitchin taxpayor. Spotlight and all other democrats always are invested in the citizens bad luck, whether it be losses at the gambling table or you lost your Christmas gift.
The big fat lug and all his big fat headed liberal lemmings have a stake in ruining your holidays (Christmas and Halloween) and taking all your money from you as punishment.
Typical stupid liberal is Spotlight. He hates kids and holidays. No fun for YOU!
WAR the best comb over in the House!!!
I just love the bottle bill! Its a way to avoid having to say "I raised taxes to pay for a pet project" and still effectively raise taxes to pay for a pet project.
It seem that Culver has stolen a page from the Mitt Romney political playbook .... GENIOUS! Kudos to you Chet … you sleazy bastard.
So spotlight - the company should be able to keep the profits, not the state.
You just reduced my 401K. Why should the state benefit from the activities of a private retailer. The person bot the card from the company. Why should the company have to forfeit their profit to the state.
This is a HUGE anti-business tax. What retailer would bother in Iowa?
You steal all this money from us under the guise of "economic development" to attract business and then steal more money from us AND from them to repel business.
What is it Gov. Butterburger Culver? Just what is your priority?
Driving the poor out of the state?
Driving retailers out of the state?
Driving our kids out of the state?
Driving our seniors out of the state?
Are you going to be the one to turn out the lights after every one is gone?
In another assault on the poor, the City of Des Moines wants to increase property taxes and the price of water by 12%. Notice how the democrats are taxing the hell out of food, water and shelter? These are the things the poor can't do without, like smoking or drinking pop.
How do the poor keep up with all this "progress" from the progressives?
Remember guys - progressive policies make poor people progressively poorer.
1) “We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.”
A. Karl Marx
B. Adolph Hitler
C. Joseph Stalin
D. None of the above
2) “It’s time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few, and for the few...and to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity.”
A. Lenin
B. Mussolini
C. Idi Amin
D. None of the Above
3) “(We)...can’t just let business as usual go on, and that means something has to be taken away from some people.”
A. Nikita Khrushev
B. Jose f Goebbels
C. Boris Yeltsin
D. None of the above
4) “We have to build a political consensus and that requires people to give up a little bit of their own...in order to create this common ground.”
A. Mao Tse Dung
B. Hugo Chavez
C. Kim Jong Il
D. None of the above
5) “I certainly think the free-market has failed.”
A. Karl Marx
B. Lenin
C. Molotov
D. None of the above
6) “I think it’s time to send a clear message to what has become the most profitable sector in (the) entire economy that they are being watched.”
A. Pinochet
B. Milosevic
C. Saddam Hussein
D. None of the above
Answers:
(1) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/29/2004
(2) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 5/29/2007
(3) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(4) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(5) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(6) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 9/2/2005
Someone alleged "democrats always are invested in the citizens bad luck, whether it be losses at the gambling table or you lost your Christmas gift."
I think it was Repub Branstad that got gambling going, not Democrats.
And no commenter above seems able to acknowledge that unclaimed property already goes to the state. This bill is minor. BoxStores may oppose it because they want the interest on the money during the three years they get to keep it under current law.
This is "lost and found" money, not profits. BoxStores push gift cards because they know a part of the cards will never be redeemed.
Sporer -- Is it true that you actually ask questions about where the money goes at RPI?
Sporer's response: "LA LA LA LA LA!!!!! Can't hear you....can't talk about RPI...LA LA LA LA!!! Let me make up some other crap to distract you from what's going on with the Central Committee!!!! Ignore the man behind the curtain!!!"
Spotlight, your first two comments demonstrate that you either are illuminating with a 12 watt bulb or you have a personal relationship with the proposal.
I chose this rather minimal budgetary proposal to illustrate that you kids will subject the body politic to a more through probing that Tommy gave Pam in your search for the people's, and that includes businesses as well,money.
Now, as for Chapter 556.9, which I presume to be your actual point. The second paragraph of the statute has little to do with the first. Nothing, in fact.
Gift certificates do not acquire an independent commercial value until they are presented to the merchant that issues them. You can't submit your Starbuck's gift certificate at Pottery Barn, it has no value at the later merchant.
However, if 556.9 already did declare all gift certificates to be abandonded property then it would be dumb, greedy, confiscatory and in need of amendment.
sporie:
Your analytical skills continue to amaze.
Gift certificates do not acquire an independent commercial value until they are presented to the merchant that issues them.
Now I'm just a humble accountant but I always thought that something acquires independent commercial value when it is sold. Are these gift certificates just handed out or do customers pay for them? Do they have unlimited redemption value or are there dollar limits as to their exchange value?
No doubt they have no value to the recipient until they are presented as payment, as opposed to the more obscure term of redemption.
This whole post and the attendant musings of your compatriots is one more example of that ad hominem verbiage you so detest. It is understandable since conservatives, either lacking ability or knowledge, care little for reasoned argument, reviewing pros and cons, weighing the relative value of various options. Rather they glom on to that emotional device which allows them to avoid that tiring exercise of thinking.
This is especially true when conservatives speak of money issues. Money is carried in wallets and wallets are carried in hip pockets directly adjacent to where conservatives heads are.
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