No April Fool's Joke -- But Sales Tax In San Francisco Bay Area Now In Double Digit -- March 1, 2015

CBS San Franciso is reporting:

Buy something in Hayward and you’re going to get whacked with a 10% sales tax. Take a few steps outside the city limits and the tax is a half cent cheaper.

Last summer, Hayward voters taxed themselves. Measure C passed with an overwhelming 68% approval.

City spokesperson Frank Holland says it could mean $10 million more for the city to hire more police and build better roads. 

It's not often you can find something that 68% of the folks agree on -- and raising taxes seems to be about the last thing.

There are several story lines here: just because sales tax rise, does not necessarily mean the overall prices will increase; competition is such, businesses will find other ways to cut costs to try to minimize what consumers pay overall.

Unfortunately, the Bay area is also ground zero for raising the minimum wage. 

Fortunately Hayward is not in my travel plans.

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