Author Topic: Possible Tax in Texas (Read 7676 times)

raptorspike · « **on:** January 25, 2006, 05:52:53 AM »

http://games.slashdot.org/games/06/01/25/159228.shtml

holy s**t on a shingle! A 50% tax on violent video games!!!!! Remind me not to shop in Texas if this passes!

KDR_11k · « **Reply #1 on:** January 25, 2006, 06:23:51 AM »

Now that is stupid...

Ian Sane · « **Reply #2 on:** January 25, 2006, 06:59:49 AM »

This is a guy running for governor saying he would include that on his agenda along with some other pretty severe taxes. I don't know what sort of political views are popular in Texas but the guy sounds really extreme so I imagine he probably wouldn't get elected.

vudu · « **Reply #3 on:** January 25, 2006, 07:52:16 AM »

Thing is, this just might be crazy enough to get him elected.

I think I read that he wants to do away with property taxes and replace them with "vice-taxes". I know a lot of people who don't play video games who would like to do away with their property taxes.

Pale · « **Reply #4 on:** January 25, 2006, 08:04:27 AM »

Yeah, and then he can decide what a vice is. In this day and age, stiffs will be ok with video games being a 'vice' but they would never call books one. They both fill similar roles though, at least as far as leisure reading is concerned.

Hurray for more "rock and roll is bad for you" bull shi-. Seriously though, if it was going to be a true vice tax, they would have to tax everything. Movies, books, games, music, art supplies, pens, etc.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #5 on:** January 25, 2006, 08:21:27 AM »

"I think I read that he wants to do away with property taxes and replace them with 'vice-taxes'. I know a lot of people who don't play video games who would like to do away with their property taxes."

The problem is it wouldn't actually work. Those taxes are insane to the point where you're pretty much making those vices illegal. People would just go to illegal means of getting the same thing. Well maybe not soft drinks but the other two for sure. This would only work if people just continued with those same vices as they do now. But they wouldn't because they couldn't afford to.

The most effective taxes are for things everyone needs. That's stuff like gas, property, income, and sales tax. No one can escape them so they're an effective way to tax (as annoying as it is for all of us). A "vice" or "luxury" or anything like that typically is something that people like having the option but don't actually need or it's something that could be easily obtained illegally. It's pretty hard to avoid property, income or sales tax unless you're homeless and steal everything. It would really not be that hard to avoid violent videogame, abortion and soft drink tax (boy are those an odd bunch to group together). Not enough people would pay those taxes for it to effectively replace property tax.

I guess this could kind of count as political discussion. I'm just arguing that this guy won't get elected or if he does his plan would bomb so huge that he would either have to abandon it or he would get thrown out next election. It won't happen so don't worry about it.

KDR_11k · « **Reply #6 on:** January 25, 2006, 09:06:13 AM »

I wonder if the Supreme Court would consider a tax based on the content of speech a "restriction of free speech"...

King of Twitch · « **Reply #7 on:** January 25, 2006, 09:41:15 AM »

I heard Texas is pretty gerrymandered, so extremeness is probably the norm, like in CA. It's a slippery slope, someday they could decide all videogames are vices that lead to violence, obesity, and stupidity.

Of course, first it would have to go through the legislature which might or might not pass, and they'd have to create a Department of Morality to decide what a vice is, and how much it should be taxed. I don't think people will go for such a radical candidate.

jasonditz · « **Reply #8 on:** January 25, 2006, 10:54:49 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
I wonder if the Supreme Court would consider a tax based on the content of speech a "restriction of free speech"...

No more so than when the IRS takes away a church's tax exempt status because one of its ministers gave a speech critical of the war.

JonLeung · « **Reply #9 on:** January 25, 2006, 11:04:58 AM »

In my province of Alberta (that's in Canada for those of you who don't know), the provincial government is giving $400 to every person and we should be receiving them before the end of the month.

In Alberta, unlike all the other provinces, we don't pay any PST (provincial tax), only the GST (goods and services tax that every Canadian pays on nearly every purchase).

And we just had an election. I don't really like the guy who'll be the next Prime Minister, but he's reducing the GST from 7% to 6% immediately and then it'll just be 5% within 5 years.

SUMMARY: I get free money, don't pay extra tax, and will be paying less tax when I have to. Alberta rules.

Guess what I'm putting my $400 towards?

kirby_killer_dedede · « **Reply #10 on:** January 25, 2006, 11:07:40 AM »

WTF! I F*CKING LIVE IN TEXAS!

Ian Sane · « **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2006, 11:22:26 AM »

"In Alberta, unlike all the other provinces, we don't pay any PST (provincial tax), only the GST (goods and services tax that every Canadian pays on nearly every purchase)."

If Alberta wasn't a damn iceburg in the winter I would move there in a second. The province is just so on the ball it's unreal. Sadly since I hate cold weather the Vancouver area in BC is pretty much the only place in Canada I can live. For me PST is more of a "no snow in the winter" tax.

jasonditz · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2006, 11:44:12 AM »

I'd love to live in alberta... I wish it was easier for us American pig-dogs to find work there.

kirby_killer_dedede · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2006, 12:57:19 PM »

...i hate republicans.

odifiend · « **Reply #14 on:** January 25, 2006, 01:09:06 PM »

Ah, you have to love Texans... Violent video games will be taxed to fund the state's executions. I actually don't have a problem with capital punishment per se, but this seems pretty hypocritical unless this candidate also plans to pardon criminals to stop state ordained violence. The particular thing I find funny about this video game tax is that with the internet, there is no way this could be enforced. Fudge, I'd sell violent video games to Texas myself if I could make a profit.

nitsu niflheim · « **Reply #15 on:** January 25, 2006, 02:01:40 PM »

The abortion tax will never hold up in court because it imposses financial burden and opposition to a procedure that has been declared by the supreme court to be legal.

Besides for the violent games tax in Texas, there is a simple (yet financial death for game makers) is to just not sell games in the state of Texas. Can't tax something that isn't available in the state. Online stores can refuse to ship to Texas, the same with porn and knives and stuff for certain states and cities.

KnowsNothing · « **Reply #16 on:** January 25, 2006, 02:06:14 PM »

texas more like taxas

JonLeung · « **Reply #17 on:** January 26, 2006, 08:54:50 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
If Alberta wasn't a damn iceburg in the winter I would move there in a second. The province is just so on the ball it's unreal. Sadly since I hate cold weather the Vancouver area in BC is pretty much the only place in Canada I can live. For me PST is more of a "no snow in the winter" tax.

And that's where you're wrong. This year, anyway. This "winter" has been pathetic. I like snow, but for you and those who don't, we actually had a brown Christmas this past December. Anytime it snowed in late autumn to now, it's been wimpy, piddly snow that wouldn't last more than a couple days.

I've been indoors today, and my office has no windows, but when I walked to the front, I saw that it was raining today. RAINING. In Edmonton in January.

I think it's pathetic, but Ian, you'd probably be glad you were wrong if you lived in central Alberta right now.

We had a brown Christmas in 1997 as well, and past winters were not at all like the -30 - -40 degrees Celsius I seemed to recall were regular in the 80s and early 90s.

OMG GLOBAL WARMING.

So yeah, my province is still probably better than your province or state.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #18 on:** January 26, 2006, 09:22:03 AM »

"And that's where you're wrong. This year, anyway. This 'winter' has been pathetic. I like snow, but for you and those who don't, we actually had a brown Christmas this past December. Anytime it snowed in late autumn to now, it's been wimpy, piddly snow that wouldn't last more than a couple days."

Around Vancouver we pretty much always get a brown Christmas. We routinely get only like three snowfalls each winter. That's not "this year" stats, that's EVERY year stats. Vancouver is like the Canada equivalent of Florida. I like Alberta a lot but when it comes to which Province has warmer winter weather it's not even a fair comparison.

Unless you really hate rain. Then Vancouver is pretty much the worst place in Canada.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #19 on:** January 26, 2006, 09:35:35 AM »

Oh, I know that there's no Texan hate in here...Right? RIGHT? *death glare*

IceCold · « **Reply #20 on:** January 26, 2006, 12:02:54 PM »

I know Jon! This year I kept waiting for it to snow; in September I said it will be any time now. Then when Halloween came and it was still mild, I was seriously wondering what the hell was happening. Then November, December AND January passed with only a few serious cold spells. As I speak, it's sunny and nearly all the snow has melted. What's happening?!?! Hopefully February is OK, then I'm home free..

And I'm probably in the minority here, but I thoroughly disagree with both the GST lowering and the money rebate. BUT, needless to say, that is another can of worms altogether..

KDR_11k · « **Reply #21 on:** January 27, 2006, 04:26:31 AM »

Oh, I know that there's no Texan hate in here...Right?

As long as you guys don't vote that abortion of a politician into office, no.

vudu · « **Reply #22 on:** January 27, 2006, 08:24:23 AM »

Bill, you're from SC.

couchmonkey · « **Reply #23 on:** January 27, 2006, 09:24:48 AM »

Yeah, it rained here in Calgary this month too. I'm pretty sure it's the end of the world. Oh well, at least the weather was pleasant when the Rapture came.
Ian, I will trade you cities. I'm not too keen on this one, but Vancouver is so expensive. Actually, I really like Calgary, but the economy attracts a lot of greedy people. Not to say anyone who moves here is greedy, just that it's not my type of environment.

Edit: Oh yeah, taxes. Well, I really don't think that bill or whatever will pass. Yes, it's stupid.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #24 on:** January 27, 2006, 09:34:44 AM »

"Ian, I will trade you cities. I'm not too keen on this one, but Vancouver is so expensive."

Well I don't actually live in Vancouver city, I live in Langley which is the furthest suburb in the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD). So the expenses aren't quite so high. Personally I would rather live in Abbotsford which is about 20 minutes away but is just outside the GVRD and thus has lower gas tax because its public transportation isn't connected to Vancouver (presently my taxes support downtown Vancouver's transit when the bus only goes by my house twice a day). But Abbotsford would greatly add to my commute so I wouldn't really save much.

News:

Author Topic: Possible Tax in Texas (Read 7676 times)