Gun tax holiday off target

It is no surprise that thousands of people turned out this weekend for a gun show at Ladson. What was surprising to many South Carolina citizens was that all gun purchases on Friday and Saturday were tax-free. No state sales tax. No local sales tax.

Last session, S.C. Rep. Mike Pitts, R-Laurens, tacked the tax-free proposal onto a bill providing a tax break on purchases of energy-efficient appliances. The energy-efficiency tax break goes into effect in 2009.

Gov. Mark Sanford appropriately opposed the gun tax holiday, but his veto was overridden. He supports gun ownership, but said the holiday was only a gimmick.

The gimmick was dressed up as a way to recognize the state's traditional association with hunting and firearms. But as A. Elliott Barrow Jr. says in a letter to the editor today, it sent a different message about this state's priorities.

The statewide, tax-free weekend in August, aimed at easing the burden on parents shopping for back-to-school supplies, is more justifiable even though the list of items eligible for tax-free status includes wedding dresses, tuxedos, ice skates and wet suits. It also includes hunting vests and waders.

Authorities estimate that some $15,000 in taxes would be avoided by the gun tax holiday, though actual figures were not available on Monday.

Some critics are offended by the idea of giving gun buyers a break. Of greater concern is that a tax break for a comparatively narrow constituency was tacked onto another bill and approved with little debate. That has particular resonance during this year of painful budget cuts.

The Legislature should be less cavalier in its treatment of the state's tax code. Lawmakers should reconsider this "holiday" before next Thanksgiving.