It’s become painfully obvious to most of us that government’s appetite for revenue is insatiable. After all, someone has to finance the lavish lifestyles of corrupt politicians and over paid “public servants.” Governments around the world have worked out an almost endless variety of clever schemes designed to siphon money away from the population a little at a time so that those paying will be less likely to notice. Even so, the appetite for more and more money sometimes drives them to come up with schemes that push their already over-the-top ideas for fleecing the public to new levels.

1. The Bagel Tax

It should come as no surprise that the state of New York would dream up something as loony as a bagel tax. Yes, that’s right, you can buy a bagel in New York without paying any tax at all, but if you want to eat it right away, and you would like it to be sliced for you or served with any kind of topping, you’ll pay an 8-cent tax on it. Bon appétit!