Tax on ventriloquists?

The buzz at the Statehouse over a tax reform plan backed by Democrats has both parties working hard to get their side of the story out.

After a lengthy public hearing last week, Democrats launched a Web site to make their materials available: http://www.maine.gov/legis/housedems/taxreform/.

The bill proposes to lower the income tax and broaden the sales tax to other services that aren't currently taxed. For the state, it's a wash financially, but Democrats argue that for the average Maine citizen, it will save money.

Republican's aren't so sure. House Minority Leader Josh Tardy of Newport used the party's weekly radio address to talk about his opposition to the bill. At the end, you'll see what the Republicans are proposing as an alternative.

Here's an edited version of what Tardy had to say, including his comment on ventriloquists:

"Let me describe some of the tax changes under this so-called reform plan. The meals and lodging tax would jump from 7 percent to 8.5 percent. That's a tough blow to restaurants and innkeepers already battered by the recession. The bill also would impose a sales tax on long-distance phone calls and jack up the real estate transfer tax on houses priced over $500,000.

The reform also levies taxes on installation, repair and maintenance of all kinds of everyday items -- office equipment, lawn and garden equipment, appliances, musical instruments, shoes, jewelry and firearms. The big one in this category is repair and maintenance of vehicles. In a poor state like Maine, where the average car is seven or eight years old, drivers are trying to keep their vehicles going as long as possible. Car repairs are costly, and body work is even worse. The last thing cash-strapped Mainers need is a sales tax on top of those big bills. And by the way, if you have to have your car towed into a garage, the towing is taxed, too.

Entertainment and recreation services would be taxed -- movies, concerts, sporting events, water parks, racetracks, historic sites, carnivals and even petting zoos. Sports and games also would take a tax hit -- golf greens fees, ski lift tickets, bowling alleys, pool halls, tennis courts, swimming pools, gyms and go-cart courses.

Whitewater rafting and guided recreation would be taxed, along with all kinds of scenic and sightseeing excursions, such as by aircraft, helicopter, balloon, watercraft, railroad, bus and wagon.

Your parties and kids' birthday celebrations would come under the tax edict. We'd have sales taxes on bands, disk jockeys, comedians, clowns, jugglers and other entertainers. My favorite one in this category is ventriloquists. There are better ways to reduce our income taxes than throwing a tax net over the whole state. A Republican plan moving through the Legislature would take surplus revenues and use them to gradually lower our top rate to 4.5 percent. We'll be promoting that plan more heavily in the coming weeks, but for now think of it this way. If we can put gas taxes on automatic pilot going up, we can put income taxes on automatic pilot going down."