Ohio theme parks about to get more costly

That is, if Gov. Bob Taft's tax plan goes through. All forms of entertainment, including movie tickets, sports events, cover charges, and yes, even amusement park admission, will be subject to the state sales tax. Even parking will be taxed.

I have to say that after Taft's "Taxin' Tim" Hagan political ads, I didn't think he'd raise taxes a month after taking office...

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.
*** This post was edited by Den 2/6/2003 2:02:45 PM ***

Taxes on cover charges? Lame.

I can just picture a door man at a club collecting a $7.24 cover. Ha!

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'Maybe go out, maybe stay home, maybe call Mom on the telephone.' The Stooges 'No Fun'

What'll happen is that the cover charge will go up to $8, with the bar pocketing the change. I expect movie tickets to go from $8 to $9 as well.

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

Or the cover will be set so that the price with tax comes out to a whole dollar amount. Which will have the same exact outcome that you're describing. I'd still like to see the doorman make change for $7.24 a couple hundred times a night, though. ;)
*** This post was edited by chris 2/6/2003 2:18:59 PM ***

But here's my question, on "Ladies Night" will I need to scrounge up 24 cents to pay the tax on my waived cover charge?

Dawn, who doesn't go clubbin' in Ohio, but is asking for all my sisters.
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UpsideDawnGrrl

Only before 11pm, then you've got to pay the $7.24 just like everyone else.

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'Maybe go out, maybe stay home maybe call mom on the telephone.' The Stooges 'No Fun'

Unless you're willing to show some skin. Then it's only $.24 (not at all bitter because all his female friends get into clubs faster, cheaper, and more often).

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It was like that when I got here."
"I'll procrastinate later."
*** This post was edited by ApolloAndy 2/6/2003 2:32:59 PM ***

"faster, cheaper, and more often" that's somebody's new sig

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UpsideDawnGrrl

I don't go to clubs, but I'm pissed that women get all the free games they can play at GameWorks on certain nights. Where's the Man Night?!?

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

I doubt that many girls go to the ladies nights there so they aren't losing a whole lot. I think taxes on entertainment are stupid. Movies are 9 dollars I think down here in Cincinnati.

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Joe Barnett
Moderator
http://www.pkiunlimited.com

Amazing that after his 5 years in office, this budget "crisis" apparently snuck up on us all. Or so it is claimed.

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Please visit the small parks. We don't know what's happening behind the scenes
Woodencoaster.com

$9 movie tickets? I wish that we still had $9 movies. It's mostly $10 and up near where I work in San Francisco, at least the places I've been. Sucks big time. Luckily I can get into the movies for $6 most of the time, so that's good. ;) The theater down the street from my house only charges $5 for matinees too, so that's awesome.

I surely hope that California doesn't follow suit anytime soon. We have enough taxation already. Don't need no more, no sir, don't need it!

Justin "I'm bored at work today" Adams

Yeah, movies are already $8.50 or $8.75 at all Showcase cinemas around cincinnati (only one theatre isn't showcase, which is owned by viacom which owns paramount, go figure).

Now I think if this law is passed we need to revolt. Maybe gather people together to throw tea into the lake at Cedar Point, or into the Little Miami from Kings Island.... This new "entertainment tax" would just hurt amusement parks more. They were already hurting from a decline in travel and such since September 11 and now that this new tax would be all the more reason for out of state people to not travel here.

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Chris Tyson
Photographer
www.pkiunlimited.com

Aren't we over-reacting a littlt, teeny weeny bit?

Entertainment taxes seem to be nothing too new, and even if they are don't amount to much on a per-person basis.

For example - Last Saturday I watched two movies at Newport on the Levee (accross the river from Cincinnati), according to my movie tickets, I paid about 36 cents tax on each show.

I'm sure noone is going to say: "I'm not going to Cedar Point becuause it just became $2.40 more expensive.".

Not that I like the tax, which is going to wind up costing my fellow Ohioans and I a small fortune in newly taxed services like dry cleaning, landscaping/yard care services, etc. I'm just sort of surprised entertainment wasn't taxed up to this point. If they weren't, then why did LeSourdsville Lake's (in Ohio) have signs at the front gate specified how much of your ticket cost is sales tax, and that was in 2002!

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David Bowers
Mayor, Coasterville

Just because there might be a new tax on amusement park admission prices does not mean prices will go up. Parks can simply choose to absorb those costs instead of pass them on to the customer.

Moosh

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"It looks smaller than I imagined, but still looks to be a great ride." -- CPLady

Taxes are included in most park pricing. PKI has always just included it in the price. There has always been a state sales tax on park admissions. Taft is just increasing about every tax in the state and including things that were not taxed before.

Chuck, who voted independent.

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Charles Nungester.
Confirmed, Lesourdsville Lake opening for 2003 details soon at Lesourdsville.com

And isn't school funding still unconstitutional? Ohio, at the state level, really needs people who have a clue in office.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"The world rotates to The Ultra-Heavy Beat!" - KMFDM

Yes, Jeff, it is. It's a Catch-22, because poor school districts (such as Groveport Madison here in Franklin County just this week) keep losing bond issue and levy attempts, and the reason for many people to vote no is that the funding is unconstitutional. Yet they have no other choice aside from huge sales tax increases.

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

Umm, wow! (rolleyes). Tax @ SFA has been 10% at least as long as SFA has *been* SFA. What? You all think government runs for free? NEWS FLASH: Many government workers get paid *less* than their private sector counterparts.

lata, jeremy

--who *would* like to see government run more efficiently

There goes the affordability of that $1 theater!

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I started out with nothing and still have most of it left.