Psychic’s century-old tax dropped in Fortuna, Calif.

AP, Aug. 25, 2002
http://www.courttv.com/people/2002/0823/tax_ap.html

FORTUNA, Calif. (AP) — Fortune telling is safe in Fortuna.

The City Council has repealed a century-old ordinance taxing psychics and fortune tellers $10 a day, thanks to an entrepreneur who’s predicting success for a warehouse selling sundry metaphysical accouterments.

Zera Starchild, co-owner of Doorway Publications and 10th Street Gifts, had hoped to begin reading cards some believe can predict the future.

But first, she decided to check city regulations and discovered a 1906 law levying the daily fee.

According to the law: “Every person conducting, managing or carrying on the business of astrology, palmistry, phrenology, life reading, fortune telling, crystal gazing, hypnotism or any occult science … shall be charged a license fee of ten dollars per day in advance.”

Over a year, the fee could have amounted to as much as $3,650, far more than any other business in the city would have to pay in fees. The City Council voted to repeal it Monday.

Read Another Article

Charming couple hope to establish a real Hogwarts
Guilty: Winter Park man who said psychics led him to kill

Related News Articles Topic(s): Psychics Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults: ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs. CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support. Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com Psychics Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles Kent Hovind: Evangelist arrested on federal charges Beast’s real mark devalued to ’616′ Muslim Woman Gives Sex Advice on Arab TV Michael Jackson Confirms Conversion to Islam Kent Hovind, ‘Dr. Dino,’ guilty on all counts The fall and rise of Carlton Pearson Search False prophet Harold Camping sets another date for rapture: May 21, 2011 Watch the film Theo van Gogh was murdered for Kent Hovind — Dr. Dino — sentenced to 10 years in prison

Search Religion News Blog