Innovative Ways for the Government to Tax Us

This really stinks! Obama and Congress are going to be spending tax payer money like crazy the next few months. Somehow, someway they have got to pry more money from the taxpayer's wallet. The EPA is going to provide Congress the opportunity to tax a totally normal activity.

The ANPR, released early this year, would give the EPA the authority to regulate greenhouse gas for not only greenhouse gas from manmade sources like transportation and industry, but also "stationary" sources which would include livestock. The New York Farm Bureau assigned a price tag to the cost of greenhouse gas regulation by the EPA in a release last month.

Yeah, the EPA is going to tax livestock farts. Is the earth warming up so fast that we must regulate cow farts?

The tax for dairy cows could be $175 per cow, and $87.50 per head of beef cattle. The tax on hogs would upwards of $20 per hog,” the release said. “Any operation with more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle or 200 hogs would have to obtain permits

What the hell is the EPA thinking? Tax the meat supply to such an extent that you essentially eliminate it from the American diet? Is America going to be forced to become vegetarians? Why stop at livestock? Why not start taxing people's gaseous emmisions? After all, 6+ Billion people passing gas is not good for the environment and greenhouse gas levels.

The EPA calls talk of a tax on cow flatulence a bunch of hot air.
Those ranchers should relax, said the EPA’s Whitley. "The fact is, there is no proposal right now. We’re in the public comments phase (on greenhouse-gas emissions rules), and the public can say anything. The EPA is obligated to consider all comments, but this is not a likely change. "This is a great example of Internet viral folklore," he said. "But there’s not a whiff of truth."

Then again, if there is a tax that can be implemented in a practical manner by bureaucrats they'll do it.