Daily Budget Rant: Foaming at the Mouth Edition

We already know that the state legislature is not willing to start add items like cigars, smokeless tobacco, candy, and gum, let alone legal fees, to the list of things and services that are charged a sales tax.

However, this week I learned that if my local elementary school parents' organization makes a profit on a fundraiser, it has to charge sales tax on the items sold. (Just a note: if anyone needs wrapping paper, let me know.)

So cheroots and bon bons are exempt, the money we raise that goes back into the school, that pays for the Weekly Reader, playground equipment, t-shirts for the Reading Olympics teams, and so on, that's taxable.

It sort of goes along with the idea that libraries and school budgets can be cut but there no need for a severance tax for drilling Marcellus Shale, or cutting back on legislative spending.

I cannot begin to tell you how peeved I am.