Porn Tax!!

[JudynTX]

:rolleyes @ NY :lol



This is the best tax you ever had.

A state proposal to add a 4% tax for downloading movies and music will also apply to Internet porn.

Gov. Paterson recently suggested the so-called iPod tax to help close a $15 billion budget deficit, but few realized the levy would also apply to XXX-rated material.

The skin industry denounced the move as a cheap political stunt.

"The last thing any of us need isan additional tax," said Steven Hirsch, the CEO of Vivid Entertainment Group and self-proclaimed King of Porn. "These are very difficult times and nobody can afford to lose even one customer."

The new tax technically isn't a sin tax, since it applies to all "digitally delivered entertainment services."

It would also apply only to businesses located in New York State, leaving some to wonder if companies would relocate to avoid the tax.

A manager at DVD Video in Times Square said porn lures tourists to New York and helps boost the economy.

"When the tourists come, they come to us to buy things. We want to bring people here. We will make money, which is good for everyone," the manager said.

A cashier at World of DVD in Times Square said business has been falling during the past year.

"Customers already say they have no money," the cashier said.

Conservatives railed against the tax, but for a very different reason.

"By taxing it you're legitimizing it," said New York Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long, adding that government shouldn't profit from porn. "If you're taxing it - how can it be wrong? I don't know how you can sink much deeper."

State officials defended the proposed tax and said it has nothing to do with legitimizing porn.

"This is simply bringing the tax code in line with technology," said Matt Anderson, a spokesman for the state Division of the Budget.

"Regardless of whether or not an item is purchased at a brick-and-mortar store or online, it would be treated consistently."

Paterson also said last night that the rich will "share in the sacrifice" of closing New York's budget gap.

Paterson, in language almost identical to that used by supporters of the so-called millionaire's tax, said the wealthy will not be spared.

"Every New Yorker will share in the sacrifice to get this budget balanced," he told the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators.

Paterson has previously argued that spending cuts - not a new tax on the wealthy - should be the priority. His spokesman said the governor's new comments did not represent a shift in his position.

link (http://http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/02/15/2009-02-15_adult_download_tax_proposal_awaits_clima.html)

[Thunder Dan]

I hate all these stupid taxes, including income taxes.

They should just raise the sales tax across the board to like 20%- that way everyone has the opportunity to pay the same taxes each year, it's simple, and the people who consume more pay more in taxes

[I.R.S.]

I hate all these stupid taxes, including income taxes.

They should just raise the sales tax across the board to like 20%- that way everyone has the opportunity to pay the same taxes each year, it's simple, and the people who consume more pay more in taxes

Just pay up and STFU!

[SpursStalker]

"I don't know how you can sink much deeper."



I have an idea ...

:wow :lol

[josh0414]

Why would anyone pay for porn anyway there is tons of free stuff out there???

[mrsmaalox]

If they did that here Peewee would be hungry and homeless within a week!

[LockBeard]

All it took was tea.

[smeagol]

I hate all these stupid taxes, including income taxes.

They should just raise the sales tax across the board to like 20%- that way everyone has the opportunity to pay the same taxes each year, it's simple, and the people who consume more pay more in taxes

Great idea! :rolleyes

[lefty]

Hey, they can't have all the fun....

[Frenzy]

you can find anything for free.

[lefty]

Suddenly, taxes are sexy

[gay abc]

not going to affect the governor, since he can't watch it :downspin:

[Irwin R. Shyster]

Just pay up and STFU!

I will kick your ass you IRS impostor

[EricB]

Great idea! :rolleyes


Everyone pays, and its fair across the board.

You wouldn't be able to cheat on it, and everyone wouldn't have to have a reason to stash money.

A national sales tax is a fantastic idea.

[Thunder Dan]

Great idea! :rolleyes

Actually it's a well thought out idea and Steve Forbes laid it out so well he tried running for President behind it. People against it really have a hard time arguing as to why it wouldn't work- but the main reason it won't happen is because all those tax companies lobbied so hard against it. It would eliminate most all of the IRS and end up saving tax money, yet make it simple and fair for everyone.

I think Ron Paul had some of it in his plan as well, though I'm not 100% certain

[mrsmaalox]

Steve Forbes' flat tax was an income tax, not a sales tax. There would be no tax on unearned income. Increases in sales taxes are an unfair hardship on those who can least afford them.

[baseline bum]

I hate all these stupid taxes, including income taxes.

They should just raise the sales tax across the board to like 20%- that way everyone has the opportunity to pay the same taxes each year, it's simple, and the people who consume more pay more in taxes

Yeah, that'll do wonders for the economy, with people hoarding their money even more to get out of losing 20% of it. :lmao

The Fair Tax is the most retarded idea I've ever heard. I don't know how anyone can argue that it wouldn't strongly punish the poor and middle class who have to spend a way higher percentage of their income just to make rent, the house payment, the car, food, etc. It'll give the government the best of both worlds on the drug trade though; politicians could still be hypocrite assholes talking about how evil drugs are while taking money from tobacco and alcohol and still get their tax dollars from its trade.

[Thunder Dan]

Yeah, that'll do wonders for the economy, with people hoarding their money even more to get out of losing 20% of it. :lmao

The Fair Tax is the most retarded idea I've ever heard. I don't know how anyone can argue that it wouldn't strongly punish the poor and middle class who have to spend a way higher percentage of their income just to make rent, the house payment, the car, food, etc. It'll give the government the best of both worlds on the drug trade though; politicians could still be hypocrite assholes talking about how evil drugs are while taking money from tobacco and alcohol and still get their tax dollars from its trade.

It wouldn't be the answer to get us out of the mess now, but it could work. People spend more the more they have. If a guy makes a ton of money, he could very well save a bunch, but chances are he will buy multiple cars, homes, or anything else which means more taxes. The guys that make less money will have to pay more sales tax, but they would be getting more of their take home pay to offset some of that, but they should be paying something. Nobody should be given a free ride, if you buy anything, anything at all, you are paying a form of income tax. The people that are just scraping by will consume less so their taxes paid would be more reflective of their income level.

[baseline bum]

It wouldn't be the answer to get us out of the mess now, but it could work. People spend more the more they have. If a guy makes a ton of money, he could very well save a bunch, but chances are he will buy multiple cars, homes, or anything else which means more taxes. The guys that make less money will have to pay more sales tax, but they would be getting more of their take home pay to offset some of that, but they should be paying something. Nobody should be given a free ride, if you buy anything, anything at all, you are paying a form of income tax. The people that are just scraping by will consume less so their taxes paid would be more reflective of their income level.

So do you honestly believe the poor and middle class put the same percentage of income away in the bank as the rich do? Are you kidding me?

[Thunder Dan]

I don't remember all the details, but we studied it in an Econ class in college- here is an article on how it would work- obviously I'm not explaining it 100% correctly

http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-272.html

[baseline bum]

It wouldn't be the answer to get us out of the mess now, but it could work. People spend more the more they have.

Ah, I remember that argument for why we should import from China even though it killed our manufacturing industry. How's that working for you up in Ohio?

[Thunder Dan]

Ah, I remember that argument for why we should import from China even though it killed our manufacturing industry. How's that working for you up in Ohio?

it's not an argument, it's a fact. In General, people that make more money buy more stuff and own more stuff

[Red Hawk #21]

Why would anyone pay for porn anyway there is tons of free stuff out there???

/thread

[baseline bum]

A national sales tax to replace the personal income tax, corporate income tax, and estate and gift tax would have a salutary impact on the U.S. economy, the national standard of living, the cost of compliance, and the degree of intrusiveness of the tax system in citizens' lives.


:lmao

CATO, are you kidding me? This tax is going to push the middle-class and the poor together while letting the rich ride away from the pack. 20% sales tax on a house? Joe Deskjob now pays $1.04 million instead of $864,000 for his $200,000 house on a 30 year mortgage at 5% (compounded annually). Hey, what's 175 grand between Joe and his friends in Washington?

That new $35,000 2009 Lexus he worked his ass off for? Say he takes a 5 year loan at 4%, compounded monthly: now he's paying $51,300 instead of $45,400 (with the Texas auto sales tax of 6.25%). Nice. It's his duty to pay 17% more to subsidize the rich.

Dream vacation with the wife to Hawaii? His hotel is taxed at 20% instead of 7%. That nice dinner he went to is taxed at 20% instead of 4%. His plane tickets are 20% instead of 8%. Wow, this is going to be an expensive trip.

In summary, Joe Deskjob has to buy a Joe Sixpack car, rent an apartment, and go on a vacation to the coast; then he becomes Joe Sixpack when his company goes overseas and he gets laid off.

[mogrovejo]

Yeah, that'll do wonders for the economy, with people hoarding their money even more to get out of losing 20% of it. :lmao

The Fair Tax is the most retarded idea I've ever heard. I don't know how anyone can argue that it wouldn't strongly punish the poor and middle class who have to spend a way higher percentage of their income just to make rent, the house payment, the car, food, etc. It'll give the government the best of both worlds on the drug trade though; politicians could still be hypocrite assholes talking about how evil drugs are while taking money from tobacco and alcohol and still get their tax dollars from its trade.

The tax system doesn't necessarily need to be an instrument of social justice and wealth redistribution. In fact, it shouldn't be: if you want to give back money to those with less, just use the other part of the fiscal policy, the subsidies. Your reasoning is the cause why tax systems are generally so messed up in the western world and some powerful special groups end up benefiting from it - screwing up the middle class and the poor.

[baseline bum]

The tax system doesn't necessarily need to be an instrument of social justice and wealth redistribution. In fact, it shouldn't be: if you want to give back money to those with less, just use the other part of the fiscal policy, the subsidies. Your reasoning is the cause why tax systems are generally so messed up in the western world and some powerful special groups end up benefiting from it - screwing up the middle class and the poor.

I thought subsidizing things like health care was big-bad socialism to conservatives.

[mogrovejo]

I thought subsidizing things like health care was big-bad socialism to conservatives.

This is not about politics, I'm not seeing it from that perspective. An efficient fiscal system can serve both socialists and conservative policies.

A complex tax system who mixes everything only helps the powerful interest groups who can make fiscal planning and have politicians handling them hidden exemptions. There's an economic cost that can and should be avoided.

[angrydude]

Um the poor already get a HUGE regressive tax by the government.........its called the payroll tax.

If you replaced one with the other how is that different from a national sales tax exactly?

As I understand it the fairtax is about transparency and stopping the rich (people like our treasury secretary) from getting out of paying taxes or because they can afford to hire those fancy accountants.

[TDMVPDPOY]

this is why i hate fed-state govt bs, seriously you dont need a state govt to look after the states infrastructure and shit, the fed can control that and they you got the private professional bodys that govern or regulate a industry/trade.

Get rid of state govt and you save yourselves alot of money, all they are doing is wasting money employing these clowns who all they do is delegate it down to the paper pushers....