i suppose a porn tax is better than picking on the normal scapegoats of alcohol and tobacco.
What about non-rated films that have Sexual content? Many DVDs these days have an NR rating because they don't put them up for review by the ratings board. Will those be taxed too?
Also, if we want to increase Gov't revenue. Why not legalize prostitution? It happens, we all know it, so instead of spending money to fight an industry that will never go away. Let's create red light districts, regulate Prostitution, and then tax it. Create revenue, free police resources to fight real crime, and get rid of the sales tax on food. Win-Win.
Excuse me but isn’t an “escort” a prostitute? I don’t know a whole lot about it but I thought that was illegal.
Check the phone book under escort services.
puppymommi - an escort is technically a paid date. It would be illegal if sex is assumed to be in the contract of the date. Personally I would be all for legalizing prostitution and drugs so that those could be taxed as well.
What find a real revenue source? Tax the churches, they're raking it in hand over fist... businesses in every sense of the word.
ellie,
Why stop at churches. Tax all non profits.
Start with the Y's and right after them Senior Citizens
Hey, guys, thanks for clearing that up. Where do I get a job where men pay to take me out, pay for everything and then expect nothing in return? Maybe I have a dirty mind but more likely you guys are soooooooooo naive. "Escort"...yeah...right.
Sean, easy solution. Only tax to dvd's that are sold in places with furry handcuffs
with a reduction in the food tax, i would also hope to see a resulting drop in the dollars paid to tennesseans in food stamps and government temporary cash assistance. these two programs cost tennesseeans almost $1.15 billion per year.
food stamps account for about $1 billion of this expense.. so drop the 6% tax, reduce food stamp payouts by 6%, there's 60 million deferred back to families to spend, not the government. the argument is that 435 million each year comes from grocery taxes, and a porn tax will never make up that amount (which is probably true). however, if you can drop the tax even a few percentage points, it would help low-income families.
Now there's a novel idea: reduce spending, allowing a reduction in taxes.
The governor is upset (just like these people) because his porn will cost more.
You may choose to not purchase porn in the state if you don't want to pay the tax (internet or travel to get your toys). Meanwhile, normal people who don't have addictions to seeing people with horses, will have a reduction in the most non-sesical tax in the state.
Campfield keep up the good work. Corn not Porn!
Years ago I had a call from a mom and pop video rental place in a rural part of the county. It happened to be a place where I had rented movies, and I had seen that they had an "adults only" room.
The owner wanted to know what x rated movies were illegal to rent, and I told him there wasn't a list. Then I read him the supreme court definition of obscenity. Then we got to talking, and I asked him how big the x rated rental movie part of his business was.
Twenty per cent.
Great, another tax for tax scheme.
Why not propose to simply eliminate the sales tax on food so governors and state politicians can't celebrate Christmas in July by spending every last friggin penny of the surplus?
When it gets voted down or fails to come out of committee then see if WKRN, Hammond or the others come calling. Bet you won't hear a peep while gimmicks continue to get the headlines.
Just another indication how juvenile politics have become.
I ran the tax removal with the surplus bill last year. It was killed in committee. Democrats in the house have refused to let this out. I did and do support it and will run it again with hopes of its success first. This is a good plan B to remove the sales tax on food. The sales tax on food needs to go. It is a carrot for the Income Tax and brutal on the poor.
"I ran the tax removal with the surplus bill last year. It was killed in committee."
'Sales-tax-on-food-reduced-with-surplus' was also voted down on the FLOOR of the Houe a year prior to your arrival. The vote was along party lines.
'The governor is upset (just like these people) because his porn will cost more.' ???
any evidence here, or do cheap unwarranted shots go un-taxed around here?
I don't think you can tax internet sales. I'm pretty sure of it in fact.
Heck of an idea! I just posted a similar idea here in South Dakota. Great minds evidently think alike... even when they come from different parties! Let me know if your bill sees daylight in the Tennessee Legislature!
Sorry -- I need new glasses. I missed that your proposal was from last year, not 2008.
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