Feb 05
NYS working to tax skiers and snowboarders, and other residents seeking a healthy lifestyle!
You may have heard that NYS is working to tax the recreational services and other items (such as sugary drinks?) in an effort to put more cash into hands of the state and out of the hands of it’s residents at a time when we the people are saving are struggling to make ends meet and the lucky among us are working harder than ever to provide for our families. So, they will tax sugary sodas because they contribute to obesity and health care costs and then on the next line they propose taxing your health club dues and your ski pass, activities that promote a healthy lifestyle. I know it is ludicrous to try to make any sense of the inner working of our legislature and it’s statesmen and women, but this is insulting. The following response was posted to this blog elsewhere and merits reprinting here. Also please go to kbski.com and check out the News at Cornell’s Corner for more details on how to combat this cash grab by the states elite.
Following from a concerned citizen and snow-sport enthusiast…
“Felt this was so important that I wrote to the Governor on the proposed ski tax. I urge you all to do the same.”
“Dear Governor Patterson,
I understand that the current economic conditions have had a profound effect on all and that money is tight for all, both individuals and governments. I however feel that taxing a recreational activity is a poor idea. In these times of difficulty, many ordinary, hard-working common people look to skiing and snowboarding and other recreational activities to get away and release themselves from all the bad that exists in day to day life. An increase in price due to higher taxes can be a deterrent to some and place a wonderful, enriching experience out of the reach financially of many.
Moreover, our society is at a point where obesity and weight problems are on the verge of an epidemic, yet the proposal calls for a tax on activities gets people out, being active and healthy? I feel such a course of action is foolish and short sighted.
As a person of limited income who has devoted his life to the sport of skiing and is currently enrolled in a Bachelors Degree program for Resort Management I am highly likely to be a victim of the effects of this tax.
Even further, as a skier, I don’t want to have this economic crisis following me to the last places I have where I can escape the everyday troubles of the world and release in a healthy manner; a snow covered run at one of New York’s great ski areas.”
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