January 12, 2008
A proposed 1% tax on video games and consoles proposed by A Wisconsin politician isn't sitting well with newspaper editorial boards around the state.State Sen. Jon Erpenbach (left) suggested the surcharge as a way to fund a well-intentioned juvenile justice program. However, the Wisconsin State Journal (Madison) was less than enthusiastic:
A proposal to tax video games to pay for rehabilitating teenage criminals is a classic example of a mismatched government tax... The trouble with Erpenbach's proposal is that video games don 't cause juvenile crime. So he's unfairly sticking a group of people with the cost of paying for services they won 't get special benefit from and aren 't responsible for...
Video games are often blamed for contributing to poor health, wasting money and depicting violence. The negative perception makes them easy targets for lawmakers. But video games have nothing to do with law and order...
Erpenbach 's misguided tax on video games and consoles bankrupts his proposal.
The Sheboygan Press was equally critical:
Bad idea.
Erpenbach... admits that he doesn't believe that video games cause crime. He said he was just looking for a revenue source... But, by seeking a tax only on video games and game systems to pay for a juvenile justice program, isn't that what he is effectively saying?
While many video games are violent and graphic, there is no proven direct relationship between playing these games and criminal behavior. There are just too many other factors that play a role to connect the two.
Also weighing in was the Fond Du Lac Reporter:
The one thing you can say about the political class is that its practitioners are a creative lot. They are constantly coming up with ideas to separate you from more of your money.
Erpenbach... doesn't believe there's a link between video games and juvenile crime, he was simply searching for a "revenue stream" to pay for his bill... The senator doesn't seem enthusiastic about defending his new "revenue stream..."
Should we be thankful for the percentage we are allowed to keep from our income? That increasingly appears to be the attitude of our public servants.
Comments
@Unrated
One of the many reasons I don't generally turn Faux News on.
It's the slipery slope. For taxes.
They don't care much about freedom but money, now, that's another ... issue ...
Thank you. That is all.
@Unrated
I second that.
Easy target, easy money. Who would ever defend those evil viddi-yoes? Nice to see the newspapers realize it would be a stupid tax.
How about a bill to get the money by levying an extra tax on Wisconsin state legislators? Call it the douche-for-brains tax.
"...Fox can undo that in a minute"
Is that your local Fox affiliate you're speaking of or FoxNews (2 seperate entities)? Are you also giving the Washington Post, the NY Times, the SF Chronicle and all the other liberal-leaning news outlets a free pass? They've printed more misleading and often untrue anti-game crud then all the other news outlets put together. Get a grip pal.
Politicians know nothing about politics.
I can understand your point. Most of the MSM is liberal. However, the reason we (or at least I) bash Fox News (does not matter whether it is a local station or the cable news outlet) is because they are inept and they sensationalize far more than other outlets.
If you or anyone else thinks Fox News is not a joke, take a look at this
(it is not funny at all): http//bravenewfilms.org/blog/20124-fox-blows-it
@GP
How long has it been since we had an editorial round-up?
I was replying to Joker, not Joke.
Here is the correct link
http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/20124-fox-blows-it
I was not giving them a free pass, it is just Fox is more widely understood for overreaching and untrue scare tactics. Plus they let jacky boy on their program. Now I could have personally listed every single news station that ever slighted games, or I could go with one that most people will see and understand my message.
Voting with your pocketbook in a free enterprise capitalist system might be as important as voting at the ballot booth.