The Buzz: California tax collectors warn animal sellers to pony up

It can confidently be reported that, in terms of trying to balance the state budget, California is going to the dogs. And cats.

In its tireless efforts to drum up revenue, the Board of Equalization announced last week it's sending reminder letters to pet sellers that they may be liable for collecting and paying sales taxes on their sales.

"If you are in the business of selling dogs, cats or other animals that are considered non-food animals in California, you need to register with the BOE," a board press release announced.

The law covers anyone who makes more than two separate sales a year, from pro breeders to garage sale puppy vendors.

The board estimates the state loses $14 million a year in untaxed pet sales, which if collected would cover about 0.0018 percent of the current deficit.

That assumes hamsters are "non-food animals."

'You say you want a resolution …'

All Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee wanted was a vote on ACR 119, which touched on the China/Tibet/Summer Olympics controversy. The nonbinding measure would have put legislators on record as backing the Dalai Lama "in condemning the recent actions taken by the People's Republic of China against Tibet as 'cultural genocide' and 'the rule of terror.' "

Blakeslee, a San Luis Obispo Republican, feels deeply about the issue, having spent time in the late 1990s getting to know Tibetan refugees in India. So he introduced his resolution March 25, hoping to get it to the floor before the Olympic torch was carried through the streets of San Francisco last Wednesday.

But the Assembly Rules Committee refused to assign the resolution to a committee or allow it to be considered by the full Assembly, after Democratic leaders decided state lawmakers shouldn't mess in international affairs.

This is apparently a somewhat flexible policy, seeing as how the Assembly in the past few years has considered resolutions dealing with religious freedom in Vietnam, the Armenian genocide and the release of political prisoners by the Ethiopian government.

The Rules Committee, by the way, is chaired by Assemblyman Ted Lieu, D-Torrance. That's the same Ted Lieu who authored AJR 41.

AJR 41, which was overwhelmingly approved by the Assembly 10 days ago, asks the federal government to extend endangered species status to polar bears and 10 kinds of penguins.

Ban the balloons

Since 1990, it has been unlawful in California to sell gas-filled metallic balloons unless they're attached to something that keeps them from floating away. The reason is that they get into power lines.

Lo and behold, some of those rascals are still getting loose. Pacific Gas and Electric says the balloons cause 100 to 150 outages a year in its lines, inconveniencing thousands of customers.

So SB 1499, by Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena, would basically ban the balloons altogether starting in 2010. Miscreants would face $100 fines for each violation.

There's a joke in here somewhere about legislators and gas-filled balloons, but we're out of space …

About the writer:

• The Buzz is compiled by The Bee's Capitol Bureau and written by Bee columnist Steve Wiegand. Reach him at (916)321-1076 or swiegand@sacbee.com.