July 30, 2009  

If you believe taxation in America has gotten out of hand – and it has – consider what Britain is attempting to do.

The liberal Labour Party wants to tax people who have a nice view out their windows, or have a conservatory (that’s a glassed-in porch) or even a bus stop near their home. I am not making this up.

Government never has enough of our money and is always looking for new ways to get more of it, rather than cut spending and deal with waste and fraud. This from a party caught up in a scandal involving expenses for members of Parliament.

Here are some of the tax categories the Labour Party is considering: general or partial scenic view; full sea view; full hill or mountain view; full or partial view of lake; full or partial view of golf course or a field; full or partial view of a river.

The Labour Party wants to tax garages and carports, even street parking, balconies, a garden, patio roof terrace, a post-1950 town house and a family annex, which I guess we would call a granny apartment. The next UK election can’t come soon enough.

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.