Alaska Trying to Tax Cruise Lines

[rjg41]

The residents of Alaska:

 

1) Have no income tax

2) Have no state sales tax

3) Got the highest percentage of federal money back per tax dollar they send to Washington. They have been #1 in this department most of the past 20 years and never less than #4 out of the 50 states. We all know about the bridge to nowhere.

4) Every resident, adults and children, gets a yearly payment from an oil fund ($846pp in 2005)

5) the resident tax burden (all state and local taxes) as a percentage of per capita income is the lowest of all 50 states (2005)

 

Now, per Cruise News Daily a ballot initiative (put on the ballot by a petition of Alaskans) will appear on the ballot in Alaska for the August 22, 2006 election.

 

Voters will be voting on a package of four tax measures:

 

1) to add a $46 tax on every cruise passenger.

2) add another $4 tax on every cruise passenger to cover the cost of an Ocean Ranger on each cruise ship to monitor its emissions

3) put a 33% tax on the cruise lines' gambling operations while in Alaska

4) make cruise lines subject to state corporate income tax, even though their vessels are foreign-flagged.

 

This from a state whose residents pride themselves on self-reliance.

[superjerryw]

This item came up a few days ago. As someone said, it's easy to vote in favor of a tax when the people that will be affected (cruise ship passengers) cannot do anything about it. Most people think the $50 in taxes will just be added to everyone's cruise fare. The most interesting thing is the tax on casino revenue. Since this would adversely affect the cruise lines profits it will be interesting to see what they do. If they want to pass this loss in revenue on to the passengers, how much will it add to the cruise fare. If you raise the cruise fare to account for the tax and the casino revenue loss will people begin to think that it is too expensive to cruise in Alaska.

[frosty52]

Well, I'm glad my cruise is June 2006 - lol.

 

If this their way of telling cruise passengers that we are not welcome?

[claud925]

I would lead petitions to boycott the region for one summer season . . .

ya think they'd get the message?

 

Alaskans beware: don't bite the hand that feeds you.

[mctrekkie]

Wonder if this is some sort of knee-jerk retaliation for all the opposition to drilling in ANWAR? No drilling in ANWAR, no increase in oil fund $$, so they want to nail the tourists instead. Good point about biting the hand that feeds them!

 

Here in WA state, we have a ferry service from Bellingham to Alaska, and that state's senator is trying to halt this service to pressure the WA state congressional delegation to support ANWAR. Sounds like it's all about politics.

[rjg41]

It's actually the Maritime Engineers who seem to be the major force behind this. Their attorney is the chief mover. I have yet to figure out what their motivation is behind all the bologna talk.

[mctrekkie]

The Maritime Engineers? Please post if you ever figure out what their issue is. Seems to me some group is trying to bite the hands that feed BIG $$$$ into the state economy every year. Don't see that as a great strategy.

[hermang]

I'll bet the senators from Alaska are so pissed about having to even think about giving back 260 million for the bridge to nowhere in Ketchikan that they dreamed this up

[CaribbeanBound]

Hey, if I were a popular destination I'd be inclined to do the same. Often times these fees are used to pay for infrastructure that the cruise line use. (It might ought to go to the population of inconvenienced citizens who live in the ports and have to put up with as many as 10,000 passengers a day, but that don't derive any money from operations catering to the passengers).

 

How would you feel if 10,000 folks got dumped in your town almost daily? Me? I'd try to figure out some way to profit from it.

[mctrekkie]

If those 10,000 people each day, several days a week, 4-5 months a year, were the "bread and butter" of my local economy, I wouldn't try and drive them off.

 

Make infrasturcture safer/ecofriendly? I can live with that at $50/pax.

 

33% tax on gambling revenue? Ok, in Alaska state waters, casino closes. No gambling, no revenue, no tax due.

 

Make cruise lines pay corporate tax in Alaska? Check the Constitution and multiple US Supreme Court decisions on this issue. Won't fly.

 

I agree, it's all politics as usual.

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

 

All the Cruise lines have to do, is tell them they will pull out for a season, and that should put an end to this nonsense.

 

I find it Odd, that Cruise ships bring a great deal of revenue to Alaska, yet they have a bad attitude towards the Cruise Lines. Hard to figure out.

 

As claud said, why bite the hand that feeds you. Alaska should re-think this very bad idea, and pronto !

[rjg41]

I'll bet the senators from Alaska are so pissed about having to even think about giving back 260 million for the bridge to nowhere in Ketchikan that they dreamed this up

 

FYI, in actuality the money was not removed from the bill. Just the requirement that it be for the "bridge to nowwhere" was pulled. So they still got their money!

[BobN]

Hey, if I were a popular destination I'd be inclined to do the same. Often times these fees are used to pay for infrastructure that the cruise line use. (It might ought to go to the population of inconvenienced citizens who live in the ports and have to put up with as many as 10,000 passengers a day, but that don't derive any money from operations catering to the passengers).

 

How would you feel if 10,000 folks got dumped in your town almost daily? Me? I'd try to figure out some way to profit from it.

 

We live in an area where we get anywhere frome 100,000 to a 1/2 a million people for speed weeks and twice a year for bike week (how about a 1/4 million motorcycles riding around the neighborhood) Some complain while the real people are happy for the financial support the county gets and for the pay checks generated.:rolleyes:

[mctrekkie]

Exactly. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you". Still wondering exactly what is behind this. Flunks the "common sense test" in a couple ways.

[DCT61]

I figure I cant complain about the good folks in Alaska wanting to tax cruise ship passengers when I didnt do anything about rallying against a recent raising of my towns hotel/motel tax. Ill just skip bingo one day...that ought to about cover it.

[Seabee]

OK so the cruise lines add $46 per ticket to the cruise rate...they still sail full. You can boycott all you want but I bet the cruise lines keep filling 'em up! What is the difference between this and the port charges which are already in place? Maybe we all need to go with the "Fair Tax Plan' that some guy named Bortz is pushing????