Californians Slammed by New Tax on Wood

And bureaucrats can arbitrarily tag products for inclusion

As the "fiscal cliff" negotiations continue in Washington, it's anyone's guess how much more in taxes we'll be forced to pay next year. But we do know this: in 2013, overtaxed Californians will send even more of their hard-earned dollars to Sacramento than ever before, growing total state spending to a record $225 billion.

Since the majority of Californians voted for Gov. Jerry Brown's tax hikes in November, higher taxes and spending shouldn't come as a surprise. But there's one tax hike taking effect Tuesday that will no doubt catch many off guard.

Late this summer – before the recent election – two-thirds of the Legislature approved and the governor signed legislation imposing a new "Lumber Products Assessment" on some retail sales.

That might sound straightforward enough, but it's not – and that's one of many reasons why I oppose this new tax.