Austin’s Daily Commentary – E-Splost On Ballot In Richmond County

Austin: Yesterday I had the pleasure of having Richmond County School Board President Charlie Walker on the afternoon show, and he brought with him Jeff Baker, who's a gentleman who coordinates Richmond County's construction projects. They were there to talk about the renewal of the E-Splost, special local option sales tax that's on the upcoming ballot in Richmond County.

And again, this is just a Richmond County issue right now. Again, this is the seventh renewal, I believe they told me. And it happens every every several years.

It's an interesting concept that I wish were universal for all tax collection. A percentage, in this case, 1% on all purchases in Richmond County. And when you consider that you're paying for school construction and capital improvement projects and it's being spread out over everyone who does business in Richmond County, what a great relief for the taxpayers of Richmond County who have to shoulder most of the education bill themselves.

Again, a much fairer way, in my humble opinion, to collect tax revenue. And for those in urban centers where you've got a lot of retail businesses and attractions, you know, movie theaters and amusement parks, things of that nature, and cities that have them, it's a far better way to get outside dollars and support your local education efforts.

Again, I wish all taxes were collected in a similar way. Man, can you imagine not having anything taken out of your paycheck and not having to worry about April 15th every single year? A sales tax, a national sales tax, would be the way to go. In the meantime, support your E-Splost sales tax in Richmond County on the ballot this season. And again, it's a great way to build for the future.

And that's the comment. I'm Austin Rhodes. 95.1 FM News Talk WGAC.