Let’s put the tax on the shelf

School starts for many county children August 9 and I’m sure Wal-Mart will be covered up the first weekend in August since most everything is tax-free.

I know taxes pay for a lot of things, but wouldn’t it be neat if we lived in a world where there were no taxes.

My wife sees a lot of motor home people come through Red Bay and they will stop to get something at Gill’s where she works.

One time she told me about this couple who came in from Alaska. She said the couple was real nice and when they brought their ticket to the front it was more than what they had calculated it being.

The lady told my wife that she had added the total cost of her food to be different, then she said “Oh sorry, I forgot everyone pays sales tax here.”

I had no idea that you didn’t have to pay sales tax in Alaska.

So my question is if Alaska can do it, why can’t we pull it off?

Ok- lets be realistic. We have sales tax here- I have accepted that.

I know a lot of the sales tax goes to help our community.

My idea now is why not add the sales tax to the price tag on the shelf?

That way when I go to pick up a 99-cent candy bar, that will be the total that comes up on the cash register.

Why must we make everything harder than it really is?

I honestly don’t understand why retailers don’t just go ahead and add the sales tax to their price tags.

I think it would be cool to go grab a soda at the gas station and the price tag hanging below says $1.08 instead of giving me false hope and saying 99 cents.

What a wacky world we live in.

I guess what I’m getting at is I’d rather retailers just show me the total amount, sales tax and all, on the price tag on the shelf.

I just want to be able to know exactly how much something is going to be before I attempt to purchase it- doesn’t everyone?

There I’ve said my peace.

Until next time, Later Dayz…