Sierra Club wants to tax TV and video games

blue_slime · January 23, 2008, 02:24:57 PM

They want kids to go outside more (nothing wrong with that, btw), so they suggest a tax. Wow. Why do people still think that taxes are the solutions to all of mankind's social problems?

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/22/the-sierra-club-proposes-video-game-and-tv-tax/

The Seventh · January 23, 2008, 02:28:00 PM

Yes, there's nothing bad about going outside, but to use taxes to try and do that?

All that'll do is make people revolt, since no one likes taxes.

It's just like using a gun ban to try and lower crime rates.

Jono2 · January 23, 2008, 02:30:03 PM

alot of the gaming population would hardly notice the 1% tax increase. it wouldn't really make a difference.

besides, it would be eliminated anyways because everyone hates taxes, no matter what they're for.

blue_slime · January 23, 2008, 04:32:02 PM

Quote from: Jono2 on January 23, 2008, 02:30:03 PM
alot of the gaming population would hardly notice the 1% tax increase. it wouldn't really make a difference.

besides, it would be eliminated anyways because everyone hates taxes, no matter what they're for.

The thing though is that video games aren't hated. Taxes for stuff like cigarettes and other "sin taxes" go through often because people think that higher taxes on them would stop people from smoking or doing those kinds of activities. IIRC, recently there were some states that proposed "soda taxes" too, to try to get fight obesity.

Nayrman · January 23, 2008, 04:35:00 PM

THe tax would do nothing, since it's only a 1% tax, so on a PS3 for 500 bucks it only adds a five dollar bill. No big deal so this does nothing...adn these people are wasting their time.

Zovistograt · January 23, 2008, 04:54:08 PM

picture on engadget = win.

what the crap they don't host their own images :D

mecha_fang · January 23, 2008, 05:07:16 PM

What a disgrace to environmentalism.

Wizardorlan · January 23, 2008, 05:31:26 PM

Quote from: Jono2 on January 23, 2008, 02:30:03 PM
alot of the gaming population would hardly notice the 1% tax increase. it wouldn't really make a difference.

besides, it would be eliminated anyways because everyone hates taxes, no matter what they're for.

haha Just say "It's for the kids" and everyone will be running to the polls for more taxes. The government needs to quit meddling in private life. It can't help itself, though, because it's grown so big, extending its tendrils every which way.

Hiei · January 23, 2008, 05:32:27 PM

Quote from: mecha_fang on January 23, 2008, 05:07:16 PM
What a disgrace to environmentalism.

Greenpeace has been doing that for a long time, Sierra Club is nothing in comparison.

Tupin · January 23, 2008, 05:33:49 PM

People will still play games.

blue_slime · January 23, 2008, 09:24:04 PM

Quote from: Nayrman on January 23, 2008, 04:35:00 PM
THe tax would do nothing, since it's only a 1% tax, so on a PS3 for 500 bucks it only adds a five dollar bill. No big deal so this does nothing...adn these people are wasting their time.

It's not really about how much the tax is. It's the idea that we allow government to tax whatever they want to and however much they want, not because they need additional revenue, but rather in order to sway people from doing certain things. People in the end are free to choose what they want to do, even harmful activities like smoking or gambling or drinking (excessively), and taxes on them in the end hurt the people who do those activities way more than help those who don't, while changing nothing. The more we allow these kinds of "sin taxes" to pile up, the more special interest groups will lobby the government to try to change the behavior of the population by this method. I don't want a world where the government arbitrarily taxes soda 15% in order to get people to drink a delicious glass of V8 juice instead. Great intentions, but it's wrong.

Linkman · January 23, 2008, 09:39:22 PM

Isn't it amazing how these anti-gaming clubs think they can just wipe out all gamers and force them to go outside?

StarWindWizard7 · January 23, 2008, 09:54:03 PM

Quote from: blue_slime on January 23, 2008, 02:24:57 PM
They want kids to go outside more (nothing wrong with that, btw), so they suggest a tax. Wow. Why do people still think that taxes are the solutions to all of mankind's social problems?

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/22/the-sierra-club-proposes-video-game-and-tv-tax/

LOL...

It's not really "KIDS" being the problem...it's the Kids Parents who will have to PAY extra for something like this, which
I find really unfair.

I also agree that it's the parents who help in how there kids grow/act/mature into an adult, it's simply not just video games/tv.
Better monitoring will equal a better adult (of course it's more then just THAT).

What if a parent want to buy a vid game for him/herself..or for a gift..

Or how about a TV?
Thats not fair on them!!

This is just another way for people to get "money", I swear it's a Scam.

OneManFreakShow · January 23, 2008, 10:33:09 PM

I'll go outside.

And I'll bring my DS with me.

blue_slime · January 24, 2008, 08:51:18 AM

Quote from: Tuppyluver1 on January 23, 2008, 05:33:49 PM
People will still play games.

Yep, and that's why the line of thinking of "taxes will stop people from doing things" is dangerous, because 1) taxes, once in place, will almost always remain there because people become indifferent to it, and 2) if things don't change at all (like anyone will do less gaming just because of a 1% extra tax on top of sales tax is laughable), they'll think the problem is that the tax isn't big enough to make a difference.