VEXing

It turns out that California taxes everything. Twice if they can. I never understood why people called it Taxachusetts when I'd always paid higher taxes elsewhere. Mass sales and income taxes were reasonable 5% levies. CA tax is almost 8% for sales tax and 9% for income tax, which is a LOT of money. There is also a new CA law that if you bring a car into CA within 12 months of purchace, you owe a "Use Tax" which is the difference between the sales tax you paid out of state and the CA tax rate.

I think the intent is that for residents or part time residents, they don't buy their cars in states with cheaper taxes to avoid paying taxes here. But its a rude shock for people who bought cars in, for instance, Massachusetts, paid the 5% sales tax, then paid an additional 2.5% exise tax, who only then get credit for the 5% sales tax. In other words, I just paid $700 to register my car in California. This was an additional burden to me of $400 after paying $850 in sales tax, $80 for registration and fees, $430 for exise taxes and $55 for two parking stickers. And for this I get a plate that spells VEX backward.

For my happiness helper today, I'm going to try getting a tan. I've been feeling pumped up all week but that was probably the p.suedoe.phedrine I was taking for the sinus infection. Now that I'm feeling better, it's making me jittery instead of serene. And I remember that the last time I built up a base tan, didn't burn in the sun, felt fanstastic about myself and studies support this notion. Strike a match on that.