Texas "pole tax" law, what do you think?
nj_pete
New Jersey
Aparenty the state of Texas wants to charge a $5 per person tax on stip clubs. I donlt support it, looks like the money would go to a "good cause" as such, but I would think this cause could be helped out of the general treasury.
Just seems like its another tax and more paperwork for the club owners. Plus why single out strip clubs?
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/texas-slaps…
Just seems like its another tax and more paperwork for the club owners. Plus why single out strip clubs?
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/texas-slaps…
18 comments
Lets says its a non-busy period (no cover/door fee etc) early afternoon on a Monday or Tuesday and you stop by a club for a few minutes - then the tax applies?
This would certainly cut down customer traffic
The adminstrative costs to clubs for something like this would be very high, (collecting at the door and paperwork) so I agree with owners that say they will have to pass this onto patrons, who then not only have this 5 dollar entrance fee but the other costss as well
I just read an editorial listing dozens of taxes we already pay. This country was founded partly as a result of people revolting against taxation. Over 100 years ago this nation was prosperous with a surplus of money and didn't have a gazillion different taxes. We're heading in the wrong direction.
Government was only suppose to tax for basic revenue needs. This obviously has not been the case for many years. Also, there is the little issue I have with taxing for purpose of social engineering. I don't recall where this is allowed (from a consitutional perspective).
I do agree that Government is only supposed to tax (and print fiat currency) for basic revenue needs. Giving money to farmers is a no-brainer when it comes to basic revenue needs. (Some people like blubber butt dancers!) The war on drugs is obviously essential as is the war on terror. Welfare? Absolutely essential. Education? Again absolutely essential. I can't think of a single government program that doesn't relate to basic revenue needs. Maybe a few thousand dollars is misspent? Whatever.
Bottom line to would be freeloading stripclub customers: It is your duty and patriotic to share the wealth. A $5 per head per visit tax seems too reasonable. Maybe that is just to get the ball rolling. A progressive lap dance tax based on income seems fair with a minium tax of $2. IOWs, a man living on social security income alone would pay a $2 tax per lap dance and someone like Bill Gates might pay a $100,000 tax per lap dance. I think in one of the advanced countries of Europe a wealthy man paid the equivalent of $150,000 for a traffic infraction; a poor man might have paid the equivalent of $15.
I agree that $5 /person can be arbitrary, even unwieldy. Since headcount is a crude method, IMO, initial version a "letting the camels nose into the tent", followed by the camel itself. (Hint: They'll start taxing lapdances next: eg- $20 lapdance becomes $21.30, or whatever.
in a way that's what's happened with cigarette companies with the fed, state and local governments -they've became major partners via the taxation and damage settlement cases