Paying more for diesel is price gouging by a private company. Paying PG&E 36% more than usual is also price gouging. PG&E may be a public utility but it’s privately run by investors. Too bad it’s not entirely run by the state like in the good old days.
There is no 4% medical tax at any restaurant in San Francisco. It’s a charge levied by the restaurant owner to cover his costs of providing some basic medical care to their employees.
As for the tax on tobacco, they’re there to discourage use since they’re bad for your health and the taxpayer who helps picks up the bill through your insurance costs being spread out. Yes, you worked and paid for your benefits but the costs of care are socialized, like they’ve always been. It’s how insurance works.
Being in law enforcement, you most likely have an excellent retirement payout that’s much higher than the average state worker has. It’d be nice if most companies would go back to having pensions.
Paying a $1 fee for ammo and signing for it doesn’t bother me. I’m not a criminal or an insurrectionist, bent on kidnapping a governor, storming the capital or go on a killing spree, which is now par for the course in this country.
This all sounds like a list of talking points assembled like a wish list of grievances. Took some time to research and put it out so good on you for that.
All the best,
Nonoise