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27 JUN 04: JACKED TAX?
The woman on the other end of the phone was upset. "They're charging a 12 percent sales tax," she complained of the new Publix store in Phenix City. What's going on here -- a Publix store selling gasoline?
This woman went to the grand opening of Publix at "Phenix Crossing" last Wednesday, and she said she couldn't believe the total. "They're charging 12 dollars on every $100 of groceries, and people don't even realize it until they check their bill," she declared. Now there's an interesting idea. Post tax rates on business doors, and it might start an uprising.
"They tried to tell me it's ten cents," the caller's tax complaint against Publix continued. "But just a couple of miles down the road at Spectrum, it's eight cents." Maybe so - but I know from experience the price of big bags of chips at Spectrum probably makes up the difference.
Apparently several people have complained about the tax rate at the new Publix. So to get to the bottom of this, I stopped by Phenix Crossing right before closing time Saturday night -- and as empty as the parking lot was, maybe that woman called a lot of other people.
I thought the Phenix City store was the first Publix in Alabama -- but a co-worker corrected me on that this past week. He says the Tuscaloosa area has three of them -- and still Alabama can't attract the top football players from Florida and Georgia.
A giant grocery bag is set up at the entryway to the Publix parking lot. Yes, it IS a grand opening -- but the extra-large package of salt and vinegar chips in that bag is simply going to encourage more obesity.
Publix is a stand-alone store for the time being -- but signs attached to Phenix Crossing promise it'll soon have a Blimpie sandwich shop and a "nail and day spa." Why someone's nails need a spa, I have no idea....
I only needed a few items from Publix for a church picnic today. The church supplies grilled chicken. Members like me supply everything else - including, I suppose, the Bibles in case a debate over doctrine breaks out.
My few items at Publix came to $5.43 - and the sales tax computed to TEN percent, not 12. The caller admitted the Publix staff on Wednesday talked of a ten-percent rate. Maybe this woman bought the wrong bottle of wine.
I asked the closing-time staff at Publix about the 12-cent sales tax, and they knew nothing about it. They explained the ten-cent stems from having a store inside the Phenix City limits, yet also in Lee County. And since it's near from Glenwood School, parents can afford something that pricy.
The caller noted there's quite a difference in tax rates between Publix stores in Columbus and Phenix City. Sure enough, my last Publix receipt from Columbus reflects only a three-cent sales tax - for which we can thank former Governor Zell Miller for removing the sales tax on groceries. You see, even then he was leaning Republican.
The caller's point either was to demand Public lower its sales taxes, or to tell everybody to shop in Columbus instead of Phenix City. Given the differing prices in recent years, it's a wonder any gas station is open in Phenix City at all.
By the way, that reminds me - I filled my gas tank at the Crown station on 14th Street in Phenix City Friday evening for only $1.73 a gallon. The attendant refused to tell me how their price is lower than most stations in Columbus. Do you think this place is owned by a Saudi immigrant?!
But anyway: after I left Publix, I drove down Summerville Drive to KFC for dinner - and was greeted by a big "NO SHARING" sign above what looked like a buffet counter. The staff seemed puzzled when I told them, "Barney the Dinosaur would be upset with you."
BLOG UPDATE: It's now been a week, and Pastor Joseph Roberson still hasn't called me to "schedule an interview" about his school board campaign. Maybe he's suddenly decided to prepare a month's worth of sermons in advance....
Columbus's biggest debate of the campaign season so far occurs tonight at the RiverCenter, as Republican candidates for U.S. Senate meet. You can attend in person for three dollars - which is surprising, because I figured the wealthy G.O.P. folks would charge at least 15.
(If you're coming to Columbus from out of town for this debate, the RiverCenter will be easy to find. Bobby Peters probably will park his pickup truck with campaign signs right outside it.)
Only two of the "big three" Republican Senate candidates are coming to Columbus for this debate. Herman Cain and Mac Collins will be here. Johnny Isakson will not - as presumably he's teaching Sunday School all day long.
Johnny Isakson's latest TV ad takes a tougher tone than the previous ones. "Are you tired of all the false negative campaigning?" it asks. Why, yes I am - let's have some TRUE negative campaigning for a change.
The stern new ad from Johnny Isakson appears to respond to the first TV commercial from Herman Cain. Cain criticizes Isakson for getting support and contributions from trial lawyers. If this is a sin, the Superior Court Judge seat in Columbus should remain vacant for the next four years.
(Herman Cain's ad does NOT explain how he plans to get tough on trial lawyers. Maybe he'll force them all to move to north Phenix City, and charge sales tax....)
Somebody's gotta ask it - where are the Senate campaign commercials for Mac Collins? I haven't seen any on television. For someone whose TV ads for reelection to the House claimed he "gets things done," this is quite the opposite.
Your blog was NOT invited to be on the panel of questioners for this debate - but here are some questions we'd like to ask the Senate candidates:
+ Do you plan to buy your next car at Rob Doll Nissan? After all, he's the Republican Party chairman in Muscogee County.
+ Should Fort Benning be renamed Fort Reagan? I'm not sure anyone around here knows who "Benning" is, anyway.
+ Do you plan to seek Zell Miller's endorsement, just to rub it in to those Democrats?
+ Should the U.S. military do what Rush Limbaugh suggested awhile back - and bomb Saudi Arabia, just to keep them in line?
+ Will you invite Vice President Cheney to the Senate floor, to utter more four-letter curse words? Do you plan to say any, as a show of support - and will you try to get Howard Stern thrown off radio, if he keeps saying them?
+ Can you name any of your Democratic opponents? Most voters around here probably can't right now.
+ Should the government establish a mandatory six-month waiting period on all future romances by Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears?
Now other short stacks from a wonderful weekend in June:
+ Someone robbed the SouthTrust Bank at Veterans Parkway and Whitesville Road. Wow, the merger with Wachovia isn't even final yet -- and already the SouthTrust bank envelopes are collectors' items?!
+ Danica Tisdale was crowned Miss Georgia as the RiverCenter. I consider this an upset, because the good-looking Monica Pang won preliminary events three nights in a row. Maybe her group was like the Atlantic Coast Conference usually is in football....
(As I suspected, "Miss Mall of Georgia" did NOT win the Miss Georgia title. If you're not a corporate sponsor of the pageant, forget about it.)
+ The Columbus Wardogs beat Oklahoma City 62-56, and suddenly are in playoff contention at 6-and-6. I'd say the Wardogs are making a late rush - but this is arena football, and they hardly have any rushing.
(After hearing the Wardog announcers on Boomer 95.3 mention two late "onside kicks," I suddenly realized something. Isn't EVERY kickoff in football an onside kick - unless the kicker whiffs, and the ball only goes five yards?)
COMING THIS WEEK: Runoff time in Alabama.... and a look back to the summer I snuck into a church....
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