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November 02, 2005
Strike?! That Was a Mile Outside! Tax the Ump!
Just when you think you've seen it all, along comes this:
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A state lawmaker and Cardinals fan says umpires should pay for what he sees as bad calls made during the playoff series in which St. Louis lost to the Houston Astros.
Rep. Jeff Roorda wants to expand the state athlete and entertainer tax to cover officials such as umpires and referees. The tax is charged to out-of-state residents who earn money in Missouri while performing in such events as baseball games and concerts. The revenues are supposed to go to the arts, public libraries and other cultural programs.
Roorda said his idea grew out of his frustration with umpires in the NL championship series. But he also contends that it is logical to tax the officials affecting a game's outcome, not just the athletes who play it.
"I think if they're not going to pay attention, they ought to at least pay taxes," Roorda said Wednesday. "Seriously though, I think it's good public policy. Referees and umpires play a critical role in the outcome of this game and are part of the entertainment experience."
Yes, folks, bad calls by umpires are now cause for state intervention. Worse yet, the intervention itself will do nothing to rectify the results of the bad calls--not that baseball game outcomes are any of the state's business--but will merely rob guys making an honest living so that guys making a dishonest living (i.e., state legislators) can spend the money on wasteful and destructive programs.
Not even the great American game of baseball is safe from the depredations of government anymore.
Posted by Mike Tennant at November 2, 2005 08:57 PM
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