DISCLAIMER: *To dispel any concern or confusion, this is not about myself or anyone I know being diagnosed with cancer.*
CLAIMER: *This IS, however, about tanning beds and the new federal taxes.*
Just heard a bit on the good ol' talk radio yesterday about tanning beds being the new taxing realm. We're currently taxed on the biggies like property, income, roads and luxury items...now it's UV rays. What next? Air? That's just me purposefully getting ridiculous. I do find this funny though.
Tanning beds will be incurring a 10% sales tax as a deterrent to use such services. I'd love to touch on the assumed racism of such a tax (as light skinned people are the primary users of said service) but I just start laughing too hard to have the seriousness and intensity of some radio personalities. What I DO want to touch on is a possible cash flow issue that may hinder the income of tanning salons.
Much like other potentially harmful products (cigarettes, alcohol, R-rated movies, etc.) users CHOOSE to accept any possible side-effects. Moderation is defined by the user; up until friends stage an intervention (great show by the way), or the government says "no more". But I digress, my original intent was not to enter the realm of FREE WILL versus GOVERNMENT CONTROL.
Here is the cash issue I was looking at. The government will no receive 10% of what is paid at tanning salons. Okay. Some people use tanning salons as preventative care for a skin condition they might have; and no, paleness is not a pre-existing condition. I already checked. Under the new health care bill, preventative care will be covered. So, Patient A with a skin condition goes to a tanning salon regularly, even has a membership. Their membership is now paid for by the government, 10% of that membership returns to the government to help pay for other medical tanning initiatives (or into someones pocket). Granted that minor loop may not be enough to sink a tanning salon, but what if people get some COMMON SENSE and start using THE SUN!!! I think besides retailers, ski lodges and tropical getaways; tanning salons are the only people making money in the winter months.
Now that even tanning seems to be government regulated, I can just see the raids happening now. Little local shops being turned in for giving someone an extra 5min. for some money under the table. Hemp and coconut oil being brown bagged. People with large pieces of property arrested for tanning farms, allowing people to come lay out on their property for a nominal fee. OH THE HU..mani...ty. This is just plain silly.
Ya know, I don't wanna end up in a road warrior future or be associated with any local militia. I know that we haven't reached "absolute despotism", but I can't help but ponder on the part about "it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security". (That last part is found in our Declaration of Independence.) Maybe that security is not just a physical army, but maybe a fiscal one made up of pencil pushers. Like I said, I don't see us in the middle of a thunder dome situation but we do need to pay more attention. Local elections are coming up this year, get your head in the game and vote.
Remember, "Two men enter. One man is elected to their position of choice."
-Realized I need to lose weight as my wife has pointed out (A) I'm starting to snore (B) my stomach is beginning to look like a face when I sit down and (C) my own discovery that my man-boobs shake when I brush my teeth. I'm gonna go drink some soda and down some pizza while my metabolism is at it's slowest point in the day, right before beddy-bye.
