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A Louisiana legislator has withdrawn a bill that would impose a 1% sales tax on video game equipment and television sets.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 11/20/09 at 05:42pm
ZippyDSMlee: oh may the cute stab out your eyes, http://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat
ZippyDSMlee: oh may the cute stab out your eyes, http://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:17pm
JDKJ: O.K. Suit yourself. But when you're wearing Ray-Bans, sitting on a curb with a white cane and a cup of pencils, and doing Stevie Wonder impersonations, don't say I didn't warn you.
JDKJ: O.K. Suit yourself. But when you're wearing Ray-Bans, sitting on a curb with a white cane and a cup of pencils, and doing Stevie Wonder impersonations, don't say I didn't warn you.
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:10pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No thank you I don;t want your cooties...or STDs...
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No thank you I don;t want your cooties...or STDs...
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:01pm
JDKJ: Me. I'm rehearsing the role just in case I do get dubbed Zippy The Soecnda.
JDKJ: Me. I'm rehearsing the role just in case I do get dubbed Zippy The Soecnda.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:59pm
DarkSaber: Wait, is that meant to be Zippy, me or you?
DarkSaber: Wait, is that meant to be Zippy, me or you?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:49pm
JDKJ: I cud caer lez. =^^= *wakes up in mid-afternoon after staying up until 3:00AM soldering resistors on to circuit boards, stumbles around in formerly white but now grey underwear, while simultaneously scratching groin with vigor and making coffee*
JDKJ: I cud caer lez. =^^= *wakes up in mid-afternoon after staying up until 3:00AM soldering resistors on to circuit boards, stumbles around in formerly white but now grey underwear, while simultaneously scratching groin with vigor and making coffee*
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:46pm
DarkSaber: knell? Don't you mean Neil? Anymore of tht and I'll dub thee Zippy The Soecnda
DarkSaber: knell? Don't you mean Neil? Anymore of tht and I'll dub thee Zippy The Soecnda
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:44pm
JDKJ: Now, now, Saber. Don't be salty. You weren't the first one to knell and bob and you ain't gonna be the last one, either.
JDKJ: Now, now, Saber. Don't be salty. You weren't the first one to knell and bob and you ain't gonna be the last one, either.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:42pm
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:33pm
JDKJ: C'mon, Zip. You already touch yourself way too much. Spread the love. Before you go blind.
JDKJ: C'mon, Zip. You already touch yourself way too much. Spread the love. Before you go blind.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No and I ain't touching any part of you or your friends!! :P
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No and I ain't touching any part of you or your friends!! :P
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:25pm
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Lik Mitaint?
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Lik Mitaint?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
ZippyDSMlee: neill and bob,oldest giveing head joke and most lamest...
ZippyDSMlee: neill and bob,oldest giveing head joke and most lamest...
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
JDKJ: But thanks for the memory. MIB's a classic. *sings* "Here come the Men in Black. Galaxy defenders. Here come the Men in Black. They won't let you remember."
JDKJ: But thanks for the memory. MIB's a classic. *sings* "Here come the Men in Black. Galaxy defenders. Here come the Men in Black. They won't let you remember."
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:for the record I told you you can suck your own dck.
ZippyDSMlee: JD:for the record I told you you can suck your own dck.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:07pm
JDKJ: Naw, man. That's Mueedeegiaap and Bob. And you can stop bobbing. I got Zippy bobbing now, too.
JDKJ: Naw, man. That's Mueedeegiaap and Bob. And you can stop bobbing. I got Zippy bobbing now, too.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:56pm
DarkSaber: OH I get it now! It's Men In Black quote! The twins that run the comm centre in HQ.
DarkSaber: OH I get it now! It's Men In Black quote! The twins that run the comm centre in HQ.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:49pm
JDKJ: I'd like to introduce you to them. First, Neil. Then, Bob.
JDKJ: I'd like to introduce you to them. First, Neil. Then, Bob.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:47pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I know they are intimate friends of yours...
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I know they are intimate friends of yours...
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:44pm
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Neil and Bob?
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Neil and Bob?
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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