In western Pennsylvania, a second Whiskey Rebellion is er, brewing*, as Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato is facing a very angry constituency after the county imposed a 10% hike on drinks and six packs sold in bars and restaurants.  Credit where it's due, the reporter noted Onorato is a Democrat in the sentence after mentioning him by name. 

Bar and restaurant owners were obviously pissed, as were their patrons, there are now signs that say "Dan Onorato not welcome here", the tax is being referred to as the Onorato Tax, there are jokes and even a song goofing on him.  Onorato says that the hike was to pay for public transportation, and it was the tax on drinks or a property tax hike. 

The tax is facing a petition for it's repeal.  Onorato says the tax is getting collected, whether it's a property tax or this drink tax, and is planning a referendum to make voters choose.  Maybe they should choose to unseat Onorato when he's up for election and put someone in who will cut costs...

Slublog notes there is now a petition to repeal the tax hike on alcohol, bottled water and soda that Democrats in Maine passed to pay for Democrat Governor Jim Baldacci's Dirigo health care program.  The Democrats in the Maine legislature literally passed the hikes in the middle of the night in order to try and avoid an uproar...looks like it didn't work.  Maine voters are pissed, and are signing the petition in numbers.  Like Onorato, Democrats and their allies are throwing out excuses for their tax hikes, and are demagoguing the issue to try and dissuade voters to not support the repeal effort.

*Yes, I know whiskey is distilled, but I had to make the obvious joke

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 12:24 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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