THUMBS UP - To Del. Cindy Frich, R-44th of Morgantown, who wants the state's regressive food sales tax eliminated. She argues - and I fully agree - that with the financial position of the Mountain State improving drastically, now is the time to repeal this tax that weighs heaviest on the poor, the middle-class and those - like me - on fixed incomes. If California, one of the heaviest taxed states in the nation, can get by without a food sales tax, there's no reason why West Virginia needs this regressive tax. Good for you, Cindy! Here's a quote from her recent letter, posted on all three sites of Huntington News Network:
"West Virginians earn one of the lowest per capita incomes in the nation, yet reside in one of the few states that taxes their basic necessity of food. Add to this fairness issue the reality that most of the folks in our state reside along the border of states with no food tax. A compelling argument exists to stop punishing state grocers with this competitive disadvantage....
"A one percentage reduction in the food tax may not encourage folks to shop in West Virginia instead of crossing the border into Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky where food is not taxed. Even Virginia significantly reduced their food tax this year. The financial pain to a West Virginia family isn't much less at 5% than it currently is at 6%."