They call this time of year tax season – but it’s taking on a whole new meaning as Guam gets ready for a one-percent increase to the Business Privilege Tax on April 1 – and that’s no April fooling.

And tax season a little bit longer this year – as a two-percent sales tax hits at the end of the fiscal year in October.

If I told you last year that politicians would be pushing for multiple tax hikes in an election year – you would have said “Chris, you’re crazy!” – But that’s exactly what’s happening.

Surprisingly local residents I spoke to willing to accept that we need to help GovGuam out of its financial death throes by biting the bullet and suffering through the domino effects of a BPT hike and the implementation of a sales tax – but the bucks should stop there, they say.

The people of Guam just saying “no” to any new taxes.

“No new taxes, no new taxes.”

“Two percent is not going to hurt that much. It’s something that we can help the government with,” this man said, echoing my sentiments.

If we have to bail out the government one more time, so be it. As long as GovGuam does what it can to restructure and reduce, I don’t mind paying more at the store to help out health care and education.

But that’s it, pancit.

“Two percent is not bad.”

“What about after that? Do you support any new taxes after that?”

“No. No. No. Nope.”

Senators doing the unimaginable and proposing even more new taxes to our already overburdened people – in an election year, no less.

“So what do you want to say to senators who are trying to put even more taxes on us?”

“Back off.”

“No new taxes, no new taxes.”

Senator Joe San Agustin - the man behind the two-percent sales tax bailout –saying his colleagues are trigger happy on taxing the people. I asked the senator a simple question. New taxes – yes or no?

“The answer to your question? No. No to additional taxes. Increased fees? Yes,” San Agustin said. “Reducing salaries of elected and unclassified folks? Yes.”

San Agustin implying that highly-paid political hires and mayors should sacrifice before asking the people of Guam to carry the cross for a government we’re already in the process of bailing out.

And I got to say – that makes dollars – and sense to me.