Katie Trainor, a 22-year-old college student, is surveying cars on a local Los Angeles VW dealership on a sunny April afternoon. She graduates from college in several weeks and though she has a lucrative starting position with Apple, she needs a new car.
"I'm originally from Massachusetts where there is a low sales tax, so the prospect of paying three grand in taxes to buy a car is just...."
Trainor trails off, shaking her head. The recent tax hikes--an increase of one penny per dollar of sales-- instituted all over the state of California have raised some counties' taxes to more than a bewildering 10 percent.
"It's hard when you're young and just trying to build up, to cut back," Trainor continues. "Even with a decent paycheck coming in it's very difficult to account for 10% added to your groceries, your clothes, your gas. You just forget to add it in and then wonder where all your money went."
Chris Marcus, a 34-year-old commercial real estate broker test driving new VW models, voiced apathy toward the increase.
"It's frustrating, sure, but what can you do? It hurts everybody to be paying more in times like this, but the bigger picture is that the state is broke and this will help. There's no way to satisfy everyone right now," Marcus said.
With the recession looming hard over car companies, commercials frequent the airwaves advertising lower rates, no down payment, even an option to return your car if you get laid off this year. In Los Angeles County, however, billboards along the 405 urged car buyers to hurry in to Ford before the April 1st taxes took place.
"It's kind of reached the point where we're all on the same team," Trainor said of the ads she's seen. "Just as much as it's hurting me, it's hurting anybody trying to sell something in this environment. I can't imagine they are excited about this either."
Young people everywhere are feeling the effects of the new increases. Watch what Jessica Taggart, 22, has to say:
"I'm originally from Massachusetts where there is a low sales tax, so the prospect of paying three grand in taxes to buy a car is just...."
Trainor trails off, shaking her head. The recent tax hikes--an increase of one penny per dollar of sales-- instituted all over the state of California have raised some counties' taxes to more than a bewildering 10 percent.
"It's hard when you're young and just trying to build up, to cut back," Trainor continues. "Even with a decent paycheck coming in it's very difficult to account for 10% added to your groceries, your clothes, your gas. You just forget to add it in and then wonder where all your money went."
Chris Marcus, a 34-year-old commercial real estate broker test driving new VW models, voiced apathy toward the increase.
"It's frustrating, sure, but what can you do? It hurts everybody to be paying more in times like this, but the bigger picture is that the state is broke and this will help. There's no way to satisfy everyone right now," Marcus said.
With the recession looming hard over car companies, commercials frequent the airwaves advertising lower rates, no down payment, even an option to return your car if you get laid off this year. In Los Angeles County, however, billboards along the 405 urged car buyers to hurry in to Ford before the April 1st taxes took place.
"It's kind of reached the point where we're all on the same team," Trainor said of the ads she's seen. "Just as much as it's hurting me, it's hurting anybody trying to sell something in this environment. I can't imagine they are excited about this either."
Young people everywhere are feeling the effects of the new increases. Watch what Jessica Taggart, 22, has to say:
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