In article <ktXRa.344$mo4.222@fe01.atl2.webusenet.com>, brooks@swbtnet.com 
says...
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>
>
>"Gogarty" <Gogarty@Dublin.edu> wrote in message
>news:s_6dnVxyXLCBo4WiXTWJig@bway.net...
>> In article <pBVRa.51$mo4.28@fe01.atl2.webusenet.com>, brooks@swbtnet.com

 I am sure you recall the days when state and
>> local sales taxes were deductible from your Fedral income tax 

>Still are.

Nope. "WASHINGTON -Taxpayers in certain states such as Florida have been at a 
disadvantage for many years as they fail to benefit from the federal tax code, 
which gives deductions on state income taxes paid *while not allowing those 
deductions on state sales taxes.*"

Just one of many such statements available by Googling. But it does raise an 
interesting point I had not really thought about. When the sales tax exemption 
was lifted many years ago, sales taxes were usually a small percentage number, 
like 1% or 2%. Don't know about other places, but in New York City the rate 
just went up -- again -- to 8.625%. That's not peanuts.