Governor Schwarzenegger Under Fire For Veterinary Tax Plans

written by Carolyn Rose Goyda

The “Terminator” has come up with a very unpopular element of his solution to the growing economic crises in California.

He has proposed a sales tax of approximately 9 percent on veterinary services.

Hardly a small amount – and at a time when animal care givers/owners and various shelters are already personally facing increased economic hardships.

Job losses, foreclosures and cut backs in benefits and hours and college loans and small business credit – have already stretched many pet owners’ budgets and made pet care and expenses a concern.

Add the increasing municpal ordinances/fines and madatory vaccines etc – and with more animals being “discarded ” by cash scrapped families – it hardly seems humane or timely to try and impose a costly tax on animal lovers.

Here are a few ‘low-lights’ from the article posted below :

“….Even though the proposal does not require the taxation of the drugs and medicines used in veterinary services, treatments and surgical services would be taxed.

Thus, a Parvo vaccine would not be taxed, but a spay or neuter procedure would be…”

“…The California Veterinary Medical Association is the largest state veterinary medical association in the United States, with more than 6,200 members. …”

“..The CVMA is concerned about the impact on California’s shelter populations.
Shelters already care for more than 800,000 cats and dogs and euthanize about 400,000 every year at an annual cost to taxpayers of $275 million.

Taxing care beyond affordability will only increase shelter populations past capacity, resulting in even more deaths….”

Surely, the immense state of California can devise a more appropriate solution to its funding shortfalls than taxing animal care.

It is frightening to think that the elderly with companion animals and on fixed incomes would face yet more budget issues, and it is conceivable that both companion and food animals will simple go without needed care and create more epidemics or result in delayed care for issues which could mushroom into more serious care or un-necessary euthanasia.

If this tax were to be passed you would also see a waste of legislature/Congressional efforts and time – and consequently funds – to pursue senior citizen exceptions, guide and service animal exceptions , and other subgroup and hardship issues …

Even shelters would be forced to waste charity funds to fight the issue.

At a time when millionare banksters and “sheltered” Wallstreet execs are receiving un-monitored bail-outs in the billions – it is disheartening to see animal shelters and owners slapped with yet another tax to steal their hard earned money and add more stress in these difficult times.