North Carolina theater owner Bill Peebles plans to fight back if a proposed movie ticket tax is passed by the General Assembly, where for now, Democrats in control of writing the budget are paralyzed. From the Cary News: (emphasis is mine).

Peebles doesn’t want to pass the increase directly to customers, but he sees little choice. “Right now it’s included in concessions and tickets,” he said. “We already have low prices. I clean johnnies, I pick up trash, I do what I can to keep my prices down.” Like the Galaxy, his regular ticket prices run from $6 to $8. He’s frustrated with the state’s inability to balance their budget without a tax hike.

“Why can’t the state cut expenses … like you and I have to?” he asked, pointing out that he’ll likely be contributing less in sales and employee taxes to the state in the long run. “They’re going to see substantially less because I’m going to do what I have to do to live within my means.”

Morgan said the Galaxy, which attracts a niche audience interested in art-house releases and foreign films, will have a hard time absorbing the tax. “I understand there’s a budget shortage, but for our own selfish reasons, we hope it doesn’t pass,” he said.

McClaflin said consumers who want to protest the tax can go to nomovietaxes.com or sign a petition, which many theater owners have posted in their lobbies.

“We’ve seen some very heartfelt e-mails from people saying, ‘you tax our pay, why do you tax our play?’” Peebles said he’ll take it a step further: post an announcement that explains why ticket prices have gone up, and name those in the House and Senate who pushed the bill through.

“Our industry as a whole continues to suffer,” he said. “This is just another nail in our coffin.”

There is a way to address the state’s budget situation but it takes a Can Do attitude.