Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has been criticized after considering imposing taxes on services such as streaming platforms and gym memberships. Since taking office, Spanberger has been discussing additional taxes in Virginia, and this time, some voters believe she may be going too far.
In a recent interview, Spanberger said she would consider “every idea, as long as it’s reasonable,” which could include adding taxes to services such as gyms, dog grooming, and streaming platforms like Netflix. The controversy was amplified when the remarks were shared by right-wing political accounts such as Libs of TikTok on X.
Defending the idea of additional taxes, the Virginia governor said, “You used to buy a DVD; there used to be sales tax. Streaming is different. So, I recognize there’s value in having these conversations.” Previously, Spanberger has been heavily criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed that she was adding “so many” taxes to the state.
Virginia Governor Under Fire For Proposing ‘Too Many’ Taxes
It’s fair to say that Spanberger’s interview did not sit well with many voters. Some people complained that “It’s literally a tax on the poor and middle class. A gym tax is a tax on the responsible, and a streaming tax is basically a modern poll tax. Some of the most heinously regressive taxation I have ever seen.”
Others commented, criticizing the governor: “This would be a good way to turn the working class away from Democrats even more. This truly shows how much they hate capitalism and affordability.”
Some folks also had strong words for the Virginia governor: “She seems to lie awake at night thinking of more ways to tax people. What a witch!” Someone else claimed that: “She would tax the air Virginians breathe if she could figure out how to do it.”
Not everyone thought Spanberger was in the wrong, however. One user said, “I mean, it does make sense? I’m not necessarily pro-tax in general, but if you do tax it, it should be spread out evenly. Currently, Virginia has no taxes on gym memberships. If you buy a donut at a donut shop, you pay sales taxes. Why shouldn’t the gym membership also get sales tax?” In any case, none of these taxes has been enacted yet, so Virginia residents do not need to worry for now.
