Alaskans to Vote on Head Tax

[jhannah]

Voters in Alaska will go to the polls on August 22 to decide the fate of a proposal to levy a $50 tax per head on cruise ship passengers, to assess a corporate income tax on the ship, and take 1/3 of cruise ship casinos' gambling revenues. All of this in spite of the fact that pax and crews of these ships spend more than $500 million per year in the state, and that the cruise industry pays in excess of $42 million each year in taxes to local Alaskan governments. (This doesn't count what the lines themselves spend on purchases there.) I cannot see these levys being absorbed by any cruise line. You and I will have to pay.

Alaskan cruise prices are high already. The question then becomes ... if this is passed ... will cruises become priced out of the market for much of the cruising public?

[Krazy Kruizers]

A few years ago they tried to pass a $10 a head tax on cruise passengers - but it didn't pass.

Should this one pass, you can bet the prices of cruises to Alaska will go per person. And many people won't book them. Then eventually some ships will be pulled from Alaska when they find the ships aren't full.

Glad we went this year. Maybe our last time to Alaska.

[earl_m]

gouvernment greed will kill the alaska cruising

[dakrewser]

Alaska cruising has become more crowded than almost anywhere else. Sorry to say it, but this may be just what's needed to retore some sanity to the market.

Cruise passengers (and cruise ships) as a whole - not thinking of any one group in particular, certainly not the wonderful folks here - are unusually trashy (i.e., create lots of trash) and tax the facilities of these small towns & cities. It's not unusual for there to be 3 times as many tourists as residents in a town on a given day.

And, frankly, adding $50 pp to every Alaskan cruise would hardly make a difference to most folks.

[Bases5]

Dave
I would agree if it would only be $50 PP but if they impose a income tax and a gambling tax (1/3) the PP fee could be hundreds of dollars PP and not low hundreds at that. This is a all or nothing bill, The voter don't have a choice to pick and choose. Remember the cruise lines already pay a port tax i.e. head tax.
If it was a more reasonable bill I wouldn't mind.

[rkacruiser]

FYI: on cruisejunkie.com, there is a link to the organization that is supporting this ballot issue. You may find it interesting reading.

[hammybee]

FYI: on cruisejunkie.com, there is a link to the organization that is supporting this ballot issue. You may find it interesting reading.
__________________________________________________ _______________

Regardless of how any of us might feel about this issue, cruisejunkie.com is a treasure trove of information and potentially some misinformation. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Stevesan]

gouvernment greed will kill the alaska cruising

Earl, one thing history teaches us is that people get exactly the kind of government they deserve.

That's sad, but true.

Bashing "the government" is tantamount to bashing lawyers. We elected the government just as we hired the lawyers.:(

We have met the enemy, and they is us!:eek:

[xpcdoojk]

Alaska cruising has become more crowded than almost anywhere else. Sorry to say it, but this may be just what's needed to retore some sanity to the market.

Cruise passengers (and cruise ships) as a whole - not thinking of any one group in particular, certainly not the wonderful folks here - are unusually trashy (i.e., create lots of trash) and tax the facilities of these small towns & cities. It's not unusual for there to be 3 times as many tourists as residents in a town on a given day.

And, frankly, adding $50 pp to every Alaskan cruise would hardly make a difference to most folks.

Obviously, you are not in business making money from tourism in Alaska. I just love people who think taxation is a good thing. Because Dave has decided it is too crowded in Alaska... :rolleyes: Don't worry about the effect it has on the people in the travel industry they don't count, because Dave thinks it is insane there. :rolleyes: Sigh.... I will love it when this bill passes and the government revenues which the zero sum game politicians envision will come rolling in don't and the sales taxes paid by tourists reduce and people lose their jobs and then the politicians go who caused our depression of our economy. Economics is simply not understood by 99% of politicians and 100% of do-gooders in this world. ;)

I bet if we ask the mayors of the towns that are over whelmed if they want this tax, I bet I know the answers. :p

jc

[RuthC]

I'm glad I saw Alaska way back when. The ports I stopped at a few weeks ago didn't look a bit like what I remember from my first cruise there. Even the difference from '90 to '96 was astounding!

I agree that if this bill passes the demand for Alaska cruises will decrease. Maybe not by much at first, but eventually.

Wonder if it's the $$$ the politicians are after? Or peace and quiet.
I'll be interested in reading how the vote turns out.

[xpcdoojk]

I'm glad I saw Alaska way back when. The ports I stopped at a few weeks ago didn't look a bit like what I remember from my first cruise there. Even the difference from '90 to '96 was astounding!

I agree that if this bill passes the demand for Alaska cruises will decrease. Maybe not by much at first, but eventually.

Wonder if it's the $$$ the politicians are after? Or peace and quiet.
I'll be interested in reading how the vote turns out.

Ruth, politicians are always after money. Peace and quiet means no tourism. Why does Alaska pay for advertising if they want peace and quiet?

QED:D

jc

[Scrumpy]

If this helps return some peace and quiet, reduces some environmental damage, and makes Alaskans happy, then I don't have a problem with it. That remains to be seen, but I'm kinda supportive of this proposal - or most of it. It's a shame it's all or nothing because it may have a larger effect than perhaps the politicians or the businesses would like. Still, it seems like things were getting awfully busy when we were in Alaska in May/June and I don't remember it being that way in 2003, which is only a few years ago. I have read about several "accidental" discharges of various wastes that resulted in fines and perhaps it is out of environmental concern that they want more money and that they wouldn't mind seeing fewer cruise ships.

It will be very interesting to see how this turns out and I imagine prices will go up quite a bit. Folks who are still motivated to go will come up with the money if they can and if not, they'll make alternate plans or go elsewhere. If it shakes out that it doesn't harm Alaskan residents, then great. After all, we don't have to take a cruise there. It's a nice way to go, but there are alternatives. There are vacations I'd like to take and can't afford/justify. Like to go up in a space shuttle, but...:rolleyes:

[Krazy Kruizers]

The first time we cruised Alaska was back in the 80's when there were very few cruise ships there. And those that were there were not not the big mega ships that cruise there now.

[middle-aged mom]

The cruiselines can easily pass along a $50 head tax to us, the consumers, and include it in our fares. But I can't see them agreeing to a corporate income tax and a share of their casino earnings. Where's the profit for them in Alaska if they have to do that?

ps Thanks, Jhannah, for bringing this issue to our attention.

[dakrewser]

Obviously, you are not in business making money from tourism in Alaska.

But then, neither are you so it doesn't really matter, does it?

But if you ask a lot of the Alaskans supporting this measure they'll tell you, yes a little more revenue wouldn't hurt but they'd really like to reduce the huge number of cruise ships coming in...

And they do get to make that choice - it is their state.