Tea at Trianon: Moore Taxes Coming Your Way

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Moore Taxes Coming Your Way

In Maryland. From Direct Line News:

The 2025 Maryland “Pain Parade” — Line by Line
1. The 3% Tech Tax That’ll Make You Miss the Dial-Up Days
Have a business in web hosting, software publishing, or data processing? The state’s got a brand-new 3% sales tax just for you! And don’t worry, you’ll feel it whether you run a major firm or a side hustle from your basement.
This so-called “service tax” is supposed to raise $500 million. In reality, it’s going to drive jobs out of Maryland faster than a data packet on a fiber line. Our tech sector just became less competitive—and that’s not something to celebrate in a 21st-century economy.
2. New High-Income Brackets: “Thanks for Succeeding, Now Fork It Over”
If you make more than $500K a year (or $1 million for couples), congratulations—you’ve now entered Maryland’s tax penalty zone.
Two new brackets were added:
6.25% on incomes over $500K
6.5% on incomes over $1 million
With county add-ons, some residents could be looking at 11.8% marginal tax rates. If you’re successful, mobile, and even thinking about leaving? Annapolis just gave you 11.8 more reasons to pack your bags.
3. Capital Gains Surtax: Targeting the American Dream
Did you work hard, save up, and finally make a few smart investments?
Maryland says, “Great, now hand over 2% more on those capital gains.”
This new surcharge affects anyone making over $350K and investing in stocks, real estate, or retirement portfolios. Because apparently, building wealth is something Democrats in Annapolis think should be punished.
4. Cannabis & Sports Betting: Legal, But Now Extra Taxable
Sure, weed and sports betting are legal. But now they’re even more profitable—for the state.
July 1st brings new tax hikes on both industries. Every puff and parlay now delivers more cash to Annapolis. Spoiler: not a cent is going to fix potholes or reduce classroom crowding. (Read more.)