February 10, 2009
End of Days
It has come to this: a porn tax.
Befitting something seeking to extract more money from the adult entertainment industry, the proposal isn't small, adding an 18.5% surcharge to:
...materials that show explicit sex -- magazines, photographs, motion pictures, video tapes, video discs, cable television, telephone services, audio tapes, computer programs and paraphenalia [sic].
Still deciding on whether to laugh or cry.
UPDATE: Coverage from the Slog adds perspective from sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Mark Miloscia:
"If it does cause harm, it will be to industries people don't care about."
[snip]
However, Miloscia doesn't see damage in pushing adult entertainment businesses out of the state. "You're not going to have me defending adult paraphernalia or entertainment," he says. "I don't see what good that does to society."
That's nice, but the state picking on the less then desirable industry du jour is generally speaking not a good system of governance, and a potentially troubling slippery slope of government deciding who winners and losers should be in the world of business.
First, they came for...
Posted by Eric Earling at February 10, 2009
06:35 PM | Email This
1. The (D)s never met a tax they didn't like.....
Or an ''industry'' they didn't want to tax....
.... or an industry they didn't like ??....
Better stop now, before I get in trouble.
In a more serious vein:
The people in charge of the WA Leg this year can come up with every sin tax they can think of.... and every ''fee'' and ''service charge'' and etcetera. And it ain't gonna be enough to close the $7B or $8B (or whatever it ends up being) budget gap; that is mostly the result of the reckless 33 percent increase in State spending during Gregoire's 1st term. Fundamentally they've got two... well; O.K.: Three options:
1.. Huge cuts in state programs and spending.
2.. Huge increases in general taxes.
3.. Combination of 1.. and 2.. above.
Whatever comes out of the government sausage machine at the end of this Session, I expect it will NOT be pretty.
2. Nothing to see here folks, it is just the D way. Grow it, regulate it, tax it. That's the definition of "progressive"!
3. All this is going to do is cause more unemployment. Adult video stores are already under a lot of market pressure from the internet and forcing them to add nearly 20% to everything will probably put some of them under. But that's ok because it's porn. Hooray. It's just another stupid measure that's going to drive businesses and commerce (money!) out of state. Good news for California.
4. Well, whatever you tax you tend to get less of. Maybe this is a good tax then...
5. What are the hedonistic Seattlites going to do without their porn?
If the Dems really want to go big, they should put a huge new tax on tattoos and piercings. Or maybe Starbucks Coffee.
The giant government Frankenstein monster created by Progressives is alive now and wants to be fed. Nothing is going to stop it, and it will even eat its own.
6. Will this tax apply to livestock in Enumclaw?
7. I can't wait to see what Dan Savage has to say about this one....
8. Democrats have already taxed booze up the ying-yang. Gregoire went after tobacco with a zealotry that earned her the nickname 'the tiger lady.' She also banned online gambling. Mayor Nickels raided the strip clubs and launched a war on Craiglist 'erotic services.'
Now this.
At what point will 'progressives' drop the pretenses and admit that they are the party of Legislating Morality, far beyond what the 'religious right' ever dreamed?
9. Russell: Progressives are all FOR porn, tobacco, strip clubs, prostitution, and on-line gambling, while most conservatives look on those activities with disdain. The real difference is the progressives want to get on the money train with those ventures in any way they can, and the easiest is through taxation.
10. Tax the hell out of it, and there won't be any of it left. When do we start?
11. Jeff B. @5.......Yes, the giant government Frankenstein monster wants to be fed. The more it is fed, the Bigger it grows and the more it demands to be fed. It is a vicious cycle. This State, this Nation is suffocating under it's Weight. Although, Government is needed to protect society from abuses, domestic and foreign, excess Government is our Greatest Enemy and will destroy us if left unchecked. However, Big Government greatest friends, the Liberals, will continue to support, feed and grow Big Government to the demise of us all.
12. Jeff--
Just googled "Goldy" and "Porn".
Came up with 615,000 hits.
This tax will obviously cause KLOWNstein to "cum" unraveled!
13. katomar, I'm not so sure about your assessment. Sure they want the money, but there's got to be an underlying reason why they go after vices with such regularity. They could raise more money with just a general tax on all videos and books instead of just porn.
Then again maybe you are right. Maybe it is just a matter of targeting a relatively defenseless minority group, namely vice consumers, just because they happen to make an easy target. I don't know....
14. Only one little problem with their plan: It violatest the first ammendment. The tax is based upon the content of the message. That's a great big no-no. Where's the ACLU?
15. Hmmm, if you google "cynical" and "porn" you get 406,000 hits.
Maybe you're just losing your grip?
16. I, for one, can't wait for the protest march on Olympia. The image of a 20-foot tall balloon called "Dickie, the Tax-Free Dildo" tethered to the steps of the Temple of Justice is one that warms the cockles of my heart.
Clearly, the pro-porn advocates need to organize a lobby day.
Stories like this are when I really, really, really miss Almost Live.
17. Hi all,
Eric made an important point well, at the risk of sounding like a dittohead here.
Thanks,
New Left Conservative #1
18. I bet there's a scramble from the dems to be on the committee to decide what is and what isn't porn.
19. "That's nice, but the state picking on the less then desirable industry du jour is generally speaking not a good system of governance, and a potentially troubling slippery slope of government deciding who winners and losers should be in the world of business."
Because the state doesn't already do that? I hold no particular brief for Rep. Miloscia's bill, but you're surprisingly naive if you think this somehow breaks ground.
20. "First they came for" aside, I actually agree with Mark Miloscia. There is nothing whatsoever redeeming about porn photos or movies, and I really don't care if the industry gets run out of business. I can't think of one good thing about it. But hey, friar is right--the state's already picking on several industries, particularly in the area of the service B&O tax. That sector gets reamed every quarter with a B&O tax 3 times the rate of any other business category. It certainly FEELS like we're being picked on.
21. The one thing running the porn photo and movie industry out of the state could affect, is that Goldy's readers may have to find other ways to occupy their Saturday nights. But then that could be a good thing, in the end.
22. So is Gregoire going to appoint a Board or Commission to determine "What is Porn". I am sure there are a number of "experts" willing and available right on the Capital Campus. Soon only the tribes will be able to distribute porn without tax.
23. The most 'pressing' question regarding this issue was posed at #6. We (down on the farms) who have a 'vested interest' in this would like a serious answer to BA's query. Any added taxes on our end-of-the-day relief would seem disproportionate to the benefits obtained and quite frankly discriminatory to a particular sector of society.
24. Today Porn, tomorrow rock climbing gear, ATV's, hunting/fishing licenses or any other paraphenelia thought to contribute to the destruction of mother earth.
The "First they came for..." saying is dead on correct, especially given the number of Global warming cultists already within the ranks of government.
As an aside: Congrats to Gil Kerlikowske on his new speculated position within the Obama administration. Hopefully it's not as "Gun safety czar".
25. All that unreasonable sin taxes accomplish are to make criminals out of otherwise law abiding citizens. Such taxes are easy to pass but hard to enforce. At the present rate of sales tax increases we will all be paying 18.5% in another decade anyway. Perhaps the legislator is just a man ahead of his time.
26. I'm waiting for a state tax on sodomite bath houses, although Ed Murray would certainly put the skids on that one.
I also like Jeff B.'s tax on tattooing and piercing. Major disfigurement only serves to render partakers all but unemployable by mainstream businesses. Chances are we'll be paying to feed, clothe, medicate and house such idiots in the future anyway, so partakers mights as well contribute up-front to that cause.
27. So when are they going to tax the heck out of "condoms" LOL
28. Salt.
We had a fire fighter (young man) who had ear rings and the Chief wanted him to remove them during his time at work... the fool didn't want to and the union stood with him.
We had a big house fire and after he ran out of breating air he came ouside in a hurry, ripped off his mask and both ears rings came off with part of his ears. Did you know that ears bleed really good. LOL
What a dummy!
29. Of course, this law would require more government hiring for "porn inspectors" or "porn auditors" to regulate and follow up on compliance with the taxes.
30. It will be interesting to find out how they define porn, as many mainstream movies out of hollywood have some exposed body parts so will the tax apply to those movies as well?
31. Sure no one cares about those industries. Aside of course from their employees and owners. And of course their customers who must exist if the tax is to raise any money.
I have no problem with taxes, but they should be fair and nonpunative and based on economics not ickiness or misplaced moralizing.
32. Hey I got an idea! No more tax increases... on anything. Don't fall to the temptation they present you. When the expected tax revenues from this sin fail to materialize, they'll just shift the increase to you. Don't fall for it.
33. The half-trillion dollar meltdown, via Rush yesterday & Beck this morning ...
CONGRESSMAN KANJORSKI: On Thursday at about 11 o'clock in the morning the Federal Reserve noticed a tremendous drawdown of money market accounts in the United States, to the tune of $550 billion was being drawn out in a matter of an hour or two. The Treasury opened up its window to help. It pumped $105 billion in the system and quickly realized that they could not stem the tide; we were having an electronic run on the banks. They decided to close the operation, close down the money accounts and announce a guarantee of $250,000 per account so there wouldn't be further panic out there.
If they had not done that, their estimation was that by two o'clock that afternoon, five-and-a-half trillion dollars would have been drawn out of the money market system of the United States, would have collapsed the entire economy of the United States, and within 24 hours the world economy would have collapsed. It would have been the end of our economic system and our political system as we know it.
34. Hey, Crash... That's about what happened in September (18th?) of last year.
35. So I guess the message of the day is, get them toys now cause they gonna go up tomorrow.
Wonder if we will see going out of business commercials on the TV for TV stuff?
I can see it now, come buy your favorite dildo half price for the full amount.
Slings half price for swingers of your choice.
Double down for half the price,, well you get the picture.
I really appreciate our legislators protecting us from this industry that has given us so much, sarcasm here!
What I would like to tell Olympia is..
Solve the frickin debt you numbskulls, and forget about sex! Well that would be interesting huh?
36. Puritans were once defined as people who live in the desperate fear that somewhere, someone is enjoying themselves.
Apparently "Progressives" agree with that and add the caveat that those disgusting people who are enjoying themselves must be taxed into misery.
Otherwise, who will "Progressives" have to feel superior to?
37. Ladies, better stock up now on cucumbers and zucchini.
Veggilant
38. It is interesting reading some of the Stranger comments attached to the article linked to by Eric. Several people blame it all on our lack of a state income tax.
As if to say these poor legislators don't want to tax porn, booze, cigs, run a lottery, and ban online gambling. No, they're forced to do all these rotten things, all because we have no state income tax.
39. ...tax porn, booze, cigs, run a lottery, and ban online gambling." ~ Russell Garrard
...is the Governor aware her own husband is a degenerate gambler?
According to the Governors own website:
Mike remains connected to many of his high school friends - he and his football buddies regularly get together to practice the art of poker.
If poker is defined as an "art" by the Governor herself, shouldn't it be subsidized by the National Endowment for the Arts rather than made into a class C felony at her behest?
A wee bit inconsistent aren't we governess?
40. lol @ people that pay for porn
41. Anyone want to bet me the dems are looking to do the same to fast food?
42. 1. Those with E.D. should be able to deduct the porn as a legitimate medical expense if a doctor states that it is medically beneficial.
2. How about a 50% tax on those wined and dined by lobbyists? These people are receiving free meals, drinks and gifts (aka bribes) to entice them into using their influence in awarding our money for some pet project or legislation. Recently I read recently where one Olympia legislative lobbyist reported expenses and salary above 1/2 million. We could say the tax is for the underprivledged children so they would go along with it, as long as they are reimbursed for the tax by the lobbyists.