Posted on 08/23/2010 8:34:48 AM PDT by conimbricenses
As of September 8, travellers from countries in the US visa waiver programme will nevertheless have to hand over $14 (SFr14.6) to be allowed into the country.
The new entry fee is made up of $10 for “travel promotion” and $4 for administrative costs.
The remaining $10 of the fee will go towards a semi-public promotion fund that was created under the Travel Promotion Act signed into law in March this year. The act aims to boost the US tourist industry, which has been in decline since 2000. The fund will be used to help the industry recover.
(Excerpt) Read more at swissinfo.ch ...
This is Obamunism absurdity at its finest!
A perfect analogy of liberalism
How about extending that fee to anyone crossing out borders . . . tourist or “unwelcome”?
Except for the latter, I’d think that $4 is a bit too low for “administration”
Trying to collect that from our “unwelcome” visitors reminds me of the scene in “Blazing Saddles” where the bad guys’ progress is frustrated by a single toll gate in the middle of the desert.
Juan, someone needs to go back and get a blank load of pesos.
I think this guy already believes he’s the king of the world. Now he’s taxing people who ain’t even citizens. Except for Mexicans.
Fly into France for free - go through customs free.
But you want to fly home? Well, that’s gonna cost you ~#$35 per person. I don’t mind, there is a cost for France to hire Customs agents, and inspections and security cost money. So, if France wants to charge $35/person for tourism - I see no problem with the USA charging $10.
The days of flying into foreign countries without a cost is gone. Take a cruise sometime; there is a ‘Port tax’ for the ship to dock, and this cost is added to your ticket. Everytime you step off the ship, Mexico, Belize, Jamacia, Grand Cayman, Bahamas or someone gets a couple bucks.
Why are we taxpayers picking up the bill for people who want to come into our country?
I assume they will collect the 10 bucks at the border from illegals?.....
I think you’re missing the point. It’s not whether we should tax foreign tourists - it’s the idiocy of taxing them to fund a government program to promote tourism to them.
Probably a slush fund of some type.
FFFUUUBBBOOO, piss be upon you.
THAT was my thought.....but the “coyotes” have got them out maneuvered, I think!
I’m gonna get an earful when my foreign inlaws visit.
The US is the MOST demonically racist and socially toxic environment on the face of the earth, and so much so that the current PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES made a contrite world tour apologizing left right and center for our transgressions and NEVER overlooks an opportunity to publically and dramatically prefer ALL OTHER cultures over our own.... yet he encourages foreigners to vacation here AND will stiff them $10 a pop for the right to do what they have done for decades and were going to continue doing anyway??????????????????????????????
But illegal aliens can come in free and collect tax dollar benefits.
Scotty Beam Me UP!
Lol!
There are already calls for the EU countries to start charging Americans for entering their countries.
It all makes perfect sense to those who believe government is the solution to every problem. That every problem, issue, concern, poor human judgment, behavior and a lack of planning or foresight can be improved or corrected with more government and rules.
It’s bad enough the “administrative costs” are 28.5% of the take ($4 a person, just to take a fee? The local $2/show movie theater could show them how to do it for a little less), but the reason my friends overseas tend to vacation in other countries is because of the insanity that has become our nation’s entry system.
Going through arguably the strictest immigration in the world (Israel) is a dream and even China and Singapore (both rather strict with their borders) are breezily easy. The US immigration approach is tedious, intrusive, ponderous, and now - apparently - always expensive.
Knowing the CBP, you’ll have to have exact change, and no an ATM won’t be available for you...
A good friend of ours in Chile was recently denied a tourist Visa after a humiliating “interview” at the US Embassy in Santiago.
Cost him US$110 to be subject to an inquisition and denied a tourist visa.
And 0bambi wants to add $10 more to this burden?
The State Dept. routinely gives visas of all kinds to MoHamHead killers-in-waiting, even while they have a bomb in their pants, even after a relative has warned the embassy not to grant the visa.
And our friend can’t come here for a visit from Chile.
How many Chileans have flown airplanes into skyscrapers, or blown themselves up in markets, or murdered hundreds of school children?
The muzzies get a pass.
In this case, 28.6% less to be exact ($10 of $14)!
The List, ping
...feeding the government beast that has an insatiable appetite for money.
I'm afraid not. The lunacy extends to many people here too because the real problems started with President Bush and the War on Terrorism.
If you treat people like criminals like people are treated now in international airports on flights to the US, maybe, just maybe it creates a disincentive to want to go there?
Oh and I just love the way expats carrying US passports are treated entering the country if they do not have a residence or a hotel reservation, yet the term "immigrant" has been morphed to include illegals aliens in the so-called immigration debate.
There's enough blame to spread to all 535 idiots in DC and all recent administrations.
United Nations tax
Taxing people who want to come here and SPEND money, and then return home. But allowing illegals from Mexico or wherever to cross our borders for free! And then paying them to stay by offering welfare, health care, housing, safety, concern for their rights, citizenship for their many, many children (most of whom remain on welfare), etc....
What an insane world the Left and this Administration are creating.
Levy on international air travel could fund climate change fight
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jun/07/international-flight-levy-un-climate-change
Hey, let’s do this with businessmen and entrepreneurs to promote business and entrepreneurship. Oh wait, we already do.
can people see ,Obama is using taxpayer money from the government for his climate change ,united nations , global, like High-tech carts will tell on Cleveland residents who don’t recycle ... and they face $100 fine
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/08/city_of_cleveland_to_use_high-.html
wanna bet Obama uses the money for his other pet projects or syphoned off. Would not surprise me.
Tracking the $700 Billion Bailout
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/national/200904_CREDITCRISIS/recipients.html
where is house of representatives
Misplaced tourists!
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes
President Dave: “We’re spending $9 million
on an ad campaign...to boost consumer confidence
in the American auto industry?”
Secretary of Commerce: Yes, it’s designed to bolster
individual confidence...in a previous domestic automotive purchase.
President Dave: We’re spending $9 million for somebody
to feel good about a car they bought?
Secretary of Commerce: “Yes”.
You forgot that many illegals send their money home.
Tourists just need to start telling the administration that they’re entering the country illegally.
Same thing at Princess Juliana Airport on Sint Maarten. It’s called a “Departure” fee. They want to squeeze your last ten bucks out of you.
That’s one scary article from Cleveland... Sure seems like chips in our foreheads or hands isn’t too far away, at the rate everyone is rolling right over “for the children” or “for the safety of one person” or whatever lame reason.
With the exception of last year, I have been going to Texas every year for the last 12 years on a buying trip for my business.
My partner and I stay 4-5 days, paying for hotel, taxis/car rental, eating out, etc. Not including airfare (AA, not AC, at around $1400.), we spend around $1500. In addition, some years we have spent time (and $) at tourist attractions, and doing shopping.
I am still deciding if I will go this year. My suppliers want me to go, if only to have another buyer in their showroom, as that encourages other potential buyers.
$14? Not the end of the world, but as a visitor, spending over $3000 each year, making me pay another $14 smacks of pettiness. To say nothing of the fact that it supports Obama and his socialism. I used to love going to the US. Now it feels more like entering a police state.
Taking what you said as Gospel and factual - let’s do some basic math.
$14/$3,000 = 0.47%
So, an increase in business costs of 0.47% is significant enough for you to not do business in the USA? You do realize that the hotel costs you are paying is far more significant, don’t you? Consider, Orlando charges a 11.5% hotel tax on top of the sales tax, and this impacts all tourists going to DisneyWorld and the assorted tourist areas.
Then there are also the toll roads, that are primarily financed by tourists (the locals know the side-streets to avoid the toll roads).
As others may have informed you, the USA is not the first country to consider charging the tourists (or immigrants) an administration fee. You will find this in France, Jamacia, Mexico, Belize, St. Maarten and the Cayman Islands too.
You are still free to hop back and forth across the borders; but I can understand why a country may want to share the pain with the people who are using this service. $35 to leave France (departure tax)is far more severe.
Why should Farmer John in the mid-west pay for the administration costs of gov’t agencies he will never, ever use? Why should a tourist be able to demand this service from his host country, and that it be totally free?
>pettiness
>socialism.
Smacks of countries charging an airport exit fee or whatnot.
As countries have gotten rid of those requirements, we in the US are in a retrograde mode, making people who are about to spend money in the US pay a trivial fee that albeit a nuisance more than anything else nonetheless leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth.
At least in a place like India up until a decade ago or so, they waited till you were leaving to ding you an exit/airport fee!
(I would tax all foreigners living abroad.)
It's not the cost. I said that.
It's the attitude.
Departure tax is a scam too.
Why should Farmer John in the mid-west pay for the administration costs of gov’t agencies he will never, ever use?
For one thing, my visits bring more money to your economy, enabling farmer John's customers to afford his products.
Why should a tourist be able to demand this service from his host country, and that it be totally free?
I'm not demanding anything. I just didn't go last year.
This ‘service’ is your border control, which also benefits farmer John. I just want to come and spend some money, and I feel less and less welcome and safe there.
Agreed. :-)
Bump and ping.
You bring up some fine points.
I wonder if there isn’t some way to change the categories of ‘tourists’? For example, you are coming in for commercial purposes - thus your fee would be waived. The odds are high that you will be hit with other processing fees, for doing business with the USA.
Meanwhile, the ‘tourist’ would be given an administration fee for his trip is solely based for pleasure.
(not YOU, but HIM!)
Stupid. Abject stupidity.
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