New Video Game Tax: Louisiana Rep. Mulls "No Child Left Indoors"
New Video Game Tax: Louisiana Rep. Mulls "No Child Left Indoors"
March 28, 2009
A Louisiana legislator has withdrawn a bill that would impose a 1% sales tax on video game equipment and television sets.
The Monroe News-Star reports that Rep. Robert Billiot (D) hoped to use revenue collected by the tax to create a "No Child Left Indoors Fund." Those funds would in turn be channeled into recreational facilities and state programs to combat childhood obesity.
However, Ark-La-Tax Politics reports that Billiot withdrew the measure while he re-evaluates its revenue potential. The legislator said that he may resubmit the tax proposal before Louisiana's legislative session begins on April 27th.
As GamePolitics reported, A similar measure proposed in New Mexico last year failed to pass.
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Posted 03/19/10 at 01:50am
hayabusa75: Flamespeak: Shhh, the Dems might hear you ;)
hayabusa75: Flamespeak: Shhh, the Dems might hear you ;)
Posted 03/18/10 at 09:41pm
ZippyDSMlee: And not taxing the 30-500K bracket so much, sure you make 500K at the end of the year add in life thats minus 200K add in the company you made there's another 200K.
ZippyDSMlee: And not taxing the 30-500K bracket so much, sure you make 500K at the end of the year add in life thats minus 200K add in the company you made there's another 200K.
Posted 03/18/10 at 09:39pm
ZippyDSMlee: Flamespeak: we should be taxing the ultra rich alot more(those that have more than 10 million in wealth),.
ZippyDSMlee: Flamespeak: we should be taxing the ultra rich alot more(those that have more than 10 million in wealth),.
Posted 03/18/10 at 08:04pm
Flamespeak: I never understood why someone should work hard to get a lot of money, just to be punished with more taxes for doing so.
Flamespeak: I never understood why someone should work hard to get a lot of money, just to be punished with more taxes for doing so.
Posted 03/18/10 at 06:44pm
hayabusa75: Isn't the upper class supposed to be footing most of this bill?
hayabusa75: Isn't the upper class supposed to be footing most of this bill?
Posted 03/18/10 at 06:05pm
Austin_Lewis: Of course, that ignores the fact that for the next 4 years, the people will be taxed without 'benefit' from the bill.
Austin_Lewis: Of course, that ignores the fact that for the next 4 years, the people will be taxed without 'benefit' from the bill.
Posted 03/18/10 at 06:04pm
Austin_Lewis: If we go by the CBO's past estimation failures, they're about 300% short on the actual cost.
Austin_Lewis: If we go by the CBO's past estimation failures, they're about 300% short on the actual cost.
Posted 03/18/10 at 05:21pm
ZippyDSMlee: *punt*Roll call, whos on and how are you doing?
ZippyDSMlee: *punt*Roll call, whos on and how are you doing?
Posted 03/18/10 at 12:07pm
JDKJ: No, I did you the favor and said it for you.
JDKJ: No, I did you the favor and said it for you.
Posted 03/18/10 at 12:06pm
Valdearg: What I said was while I may have implied long term accuraccy, and that might have been incorrect, my greater point that the CBO report calculated reduced deficits, expanded coverage, and lower costs is still 100% accurate. :D
Valdearg: What I said was while I may have implied long term accuraccy, and that might have been incorrect, my greater point that the CBO report calculated reduced deficits, expanded coverage, and lower costs is still 100% accurate. :D
Posted 03/18/10 at 12:06pm
Valdearg: Like any good politician, I don't believe I said "I was incorrect." :P
Valdearg: Like any good politician, I don't believe I said "I was incorrect." :P
Posted 03/18/10 at 12:02pm
JDKJ: If you'd said "I was incorrect" 10 shouts ago, I'd have quit twisting your arm to get you see the obvious 10 shouts ago.
JDKJ: If you'd said "I was incorrect" 10 shouts ago, I'd have quit twisting your arm to get you see the obvious 10 shouts ago.
Posted 03/18/10 at 12:00pm
JDKJ: You were they one assuming 100% accuracy. In all caps, no less.
JDKJ: You were they one assuming 100% accuracy. In all caps, no less.
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:59am
Valdearg: Yes, my implication that the long term estimates were facts was incorrect, but the short term calculations are absolutely facts, and even the long term estimates are still useful in attempting to determine exactly what will happen with the bill.
Valdearg: Yes, my implication that the long term estimates were facts was incorrect, but the short term calculations are absolutely facts, and even the long term estimates are still useful in attempting to determine exactly what will happen with the bill.
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:58am
Valdearg: I do. The Short term costs are actually calculated facts. The long term estimates aren't necessarily 100% accurate, but to assume that they can't possibly be accurate because someone said they might not be 100% accurate is also wrong.
Valdearg: I do. The Short term costs are actually calculated facts. The long term estimates aren't necessarily 100% accurate, but to assume that they can't possibly be accurate because someone said they might not be 100% accurate is also wrong.
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:57am
JDKJ: When someone says, "I could be wrong but, as best as I can tell, X," X ain't a fact.
JDKJ: When someone says, "I could be wrong but, as best as I can tell, X," X ain't a fact.
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:53am
JDKJ: It's too early in the morning for you to be deaf, blind, and dumb drunk. A "my best guestimate" can't be a fact. Don't you understand the difference between the two?
JDKJ: It's too early in the morning for you to be deaf, blind, and dumb drunk. A "my best guestimate" can't be a fact. Don't you understand the difference between the two?
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:41am
Valdearg: By how much depends on variables that can't necessarily be predicted at this point in time. And yes, those Facts are accurate only so far into the future, but those estimates can certainly be used to support this measure.
Valdearg: By how much depends on variables that can't necessarily be predicted at this point in time. And yes, those Facts are accurate only so far into the future, but those estimates can certainly be used to support this measure.
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:40am
Valdearg: And I'm saying, as far as the CBO report goes, the facts that it does put forward are deficit reduction, reducing costs, and expanding costs. Those ARE facts.
Valdearg: And I'm saying, as far as the CBO report goes, the facts that it does put forward are deficit reduction, reducing costs, and expanding costs. Those ARE facts.
Posted 03/18/10 at 11:30am
JDKJ: You were the one championing a qualified estimate as an indisputable fact. I'm merely pointing out that it's far from indisputable. So says the estimator.
JDKJ: You were the one championing a qualified estimate as an indisputable fact. I'm merely pointing out that it's far from indisputable. So says the estimator.
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Comments
Meh, we should not tax for that, isntead make sports mandatory in schools, if they arent already.
WOW! Great! If this tax was around when I was a kid, I would...
...still be a nerd, and a dork, and a geek, who had absolutely no interest in sports, but instead of playing RPGs, my ridiculously underweight ass would be reading tons of books instead.
And seriously, I think these people are a liiittle behind the times. It's not like games are inherintly a stationary activity anymore. I mentioned this when we covered "Game contribute to obesity!!" in nutrition in college and the teacher basically told me that she didn't give a damn about WiiFit, any Wii game that required a lot of movement or DDR, all games were bad for your health and caused obesity and stop bringing up stuff that wasn't in the textook.
You gotta love teachers that take the stance of "there is only one correct view, mine".
In relation to sports I had somewhat the opposite experience as you. I only got really interested in video games later in life, i.e. high school, but even when I was I still was interested in sports. However, when I was a kid basically all the organised sport that was available was soccer, and that was not through the school. The thing is even when I played sports I was always a big guy, which probably would have looked hilarious since I actually really enjoyed badminton, but there did not seem to be any organised sport where my size could be used as an advantage. The closest I would have gotten would have been hockey, but I could never learn to skate backwards so it would have been pointless. Even in high school though, there was no football and despite the attempts to get one together there was no rugby team, except for one year but it was a sevens team and well... pathetic the next biggest guy after me was 100 pounds lighter. The only real team I joined was the wrestling team and even that was only formed in my last year. So I guess my point here is that for all the complaining people give for overweight kids they should perhaps try to get some sport back into the schools and the general community, or at least larger variety for sports cause not all kids are going to like the same game.
But ya, even if this tax does somehow get kids outside it's not as though the ones, like you said you were, who don't like sports are suddenly going to start running around. Outside does not automatically mean exercise, it means fresh air, and for me sunburns.
Yeah... see, I'm a scrawny little freak who can't build stamina/muscle mass no matter how hard I try. I have no athletic ability. So yeah, this tax wouldn't had done a thing to get me moving. I would have found another stationary activity.
But I do agree with you that the solution is to make a larger variety of sports available to the community. I might have wanted to get involved in a sport if I had access to one I actually wanted to play. But I didn't, so no participation. My family wanted me to be the next soccer star of the century. Kicking a ball back and forth isn't my idea of fun, however. (No offense to soccer players and/or fans, of course.)
tl;dr: I agree. Key isn't mindlessly taxing stationary activities, it's making a greater variety of activities available.
Even the commenters of the bill on the News star think it's BS and screaming No Taxtation period
Watching JT on GP is just like watching an episode of Jerry springer only as funny as the fights
What makes me laugh about all this is that the nation's gotten to a point where schools are removing recess and playgrounds because of stupid parents who would gladly sue at the drop of a hat, news reports that blare "YOUR KID GON' GIT RAPED", and loss of respect for professional athletes over scandels or overblown rage at their personal opinions.
To make it worse, now you have it going further with people blasting video games, silly cartoons and popular books over the idea of witchcraft or bad personal opinions of an individual, in ineffective laughable attempts to squelch every other kind of hobby a kid could get into that DOESN'T involve going outside.
Back in the 90's, Nickelodeon was able to get away with Rugrats, a show featuring a cast of irresponsible parents, mess-making, and even an entire episode devoted to the idea of nudism- all for fun and games. Nowadays? You couldn't get away with that. It's like nobody can have any goddamn FUN anymore, not even kids.
Some kids just don't WANT to go outside. But this nation is getting worse providing reasons against the ones who DO, as well as the ones who don't.
I remember in my elementary school, we had the little kids playground (grade 1 and 2) and the big kids playground (grade 3-5). Jest when I was grade 3, they torn the big kid playground saying that it caused too many injuries. Yet the only part they left up was the dome, which is the part where everyone gets hurt.
Now I look at that school today, and almost all of the grass is gone. It's not even 1/5 of what it use to be. Now they have a small soccer size field.
Now here is another issue which seems to be much more present in America. P.E. programs are being dropped because parents say that it lowers self esteem. They think they can counter the lack of exercise by having healthy food in the cafe, which the kids don't eat anyway.
I wonder why North America is getting sky rocketing obese rates.
When you have have parents that can't kick their kids' asses outdoors... (mine did, on occasion)
This money should be well spent on actually providing healthy food rather than the crap they serve in Middle/High Schools. (Of course, I've been out of that loop for 4 years now)
At least I'd say games gave me improved coordination (kicked ass in soccer!)
The food still sucks, at least when I was there two years ago. Funny thing is, if they taxed tv and games they should tax CD players, books, magazines, board games, food. Lots of things can be done in doors. Also being outside does jack squat. I can go outside and be lazy. Sit around on a chair, or just stand on a corner talking with friends.
- Stand back! I have an opinion, and I'm not afraid to use it.
Although I don't mind helping out and contributing to such things, the funds being used for such things is stupid, sterotypes gamers in the negative (Though many people just think that's the truth), and would do little to no good. *sigh*
I could list the various reasons that kids are overweight, but most of you already know them, and I don't feel like wasting my time to inform the informed.
---
I once had a dream about God. In it, he was looking down upon the planet and the havoc we recked and he said unto us, "Damn Kids get off my lawn!"
So because some kids are grotesque fatasses, I have to pay more money on my recreation?
Yeah, fuck you.
It doesn't matter whether you play games on them or not, TVs are important in out society right now. People don't have as much time to read through the newspaper, and not everyone has discovered how much they can do on the internet, so local broadcast news is very important.
Taxing tvs in this economy is not a good use of taxpayer's money.
What happened to common sense?
People without kids should not have to pay this tax. They're being unfairly targetted.
When Jack Thompson runs his mouth, does anyone really care what he has to say anymore?
As a kid I remember being able to play video games and have a fairly active outdoor life.
damn liberals imposing their beliefs on us!
http://www.eliteownage.com/nice