January 26, 2008 -
Yesterday, GamePolitics reported on the Entertainment Consumers Association's opposition to a Sierra Club proposal that would impose a 1% surcharge on video games and TV sets sold in New Mexico.We've also heard from the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA), a trade group which represents a large bloc of video game retailers. The EMA has likewise taken a position against the proposed levy and shared with GamePolitics a letter sent to the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club in Albuquerque.
In the letter, EMA VP Sean Bersell writes that the tax idea is based on "suspect assumptions:"
[The] Sierra Club states that the goal of the proposed video game tax is "to fight obesity and poor school performance which may result from excessive... video game exposure." Childhood obesity and academic underperformance are complex social problems that have a myriad of suspected causes. Targeting video games as a major contributor to these problems is unjustified and not supported by a scientific consensus...
Bersell also writes that such a tax is "constitutionally suspect" and that the proposal would place New Mexico retailers at a competitive disadvantage:
Video games, like other forms of entertainment, are expressive products protected by the First Amendment...
A special tax on physical video game sales would place an unfair burden on store-based video game retailers in New Mexico as they compete against other video game delivery systems that are not subject to the same level of taxation.
New Mexico's KOB-4 has a video report.
Full Disclosure Dept: The ECA is the parent company of GamePolitics.
Comments
Here's the thing; if we ban video games because kids aren't active, then we should ban everything, even school, so that kids can exercise around the clock. Homework, yes, homework, isn't exercise. Reading, desk jobs, writing, conversations, driving; they all "contribute" to obesity by not being physically demanding. The reality is, video games don't make people fat. They're just one of many activities that don't reduce it.
Second, the academics claim. Again, anything that's not studying doesn't increase grades, but the activity doesn't make them worse either. But there are kids who are in so many athletic activities (sports) that they don't have time to study. Other kids have the time, but just do whatever they feel like instead of studying. These two groups of kids get exercise; they aren't fat; they still get bad grades. Time spent outdoors does not automatically count as knowledge or better school performance.
Third, the ADD thing. I don't think attention deficit disorder is caused by video games.
Also, a 1% tax on televisions is ridiculous. Although it is a fair amount of money when you consider the price of televisions, it doesn't make sense to tax televisions when almost everyone in the country has one.
This could be applied to a large number of problems.
I think he should lay down the law and make him go outside.
"Big Mac's don't make people fat! Video games make people fat! Don't dare try to use logic on us!"
DO YOU HEAR ME, AFTER WORK YOU MUST GO OUTSIDE, THE STATE SAYS SO!!!!!
Even if games could be linked to obesity by some study(probably sponsored by Coke or Bigmaks).
Then why put the tax on all games? Surely the games taxed shouldn't include games that are for adults like M rated games???
Also fridges and beds keep kids in the house lets put a tax on those...
Computers and the internetz must be causing some home staying as well...
Hmm, maybe we should just start destroying these horrible influences, lets just start burning books that keep people inside, oh the hell with it, lets just burn all the houses down, I am certain kids would then start going outside...
We are already taxed enough. We get taxed on every little thing.
your reaction reminds me of something once said by the great Steve Carrel (to the even greater Stephen Colbert).
"You are taking this so personally, you'd think this was a tax on pompous windbags who make me sick, you fatass" (Sorry)
In all serious though it's not THAT big of a deal. They'd probably try to build more parks to get the kids outside or something. (Although some people say this obesity issue is blown out of proportion).
Tax incentives to NOT buy something is not the way the tax system is supposed to be used. What if the government thought that riding bikes was hazardous to your health because drunk drivers can't see them well enough, so they try to tax all cycling equipment by 1% and use the money on drunk driving education? It's the exact same thing. A tax on a benign activity disguised as a way to improve a problem that unfortunately isn't related to the taxed items.
*This message sponsored by the US Dept. of Coming To Wrong Conclusions and Totally Simplifying A Major Problem and Our Name is Too Big*
http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/194
New York would be a far better target for this tax. Not that I want it ANYWHERE, but still.
Oh, and I'm glad that KOBTV is still a decent news orginization. that was a pretty good report and they gave gamers their fair share and actually had knowledgeable people talking about gaming. Also, they told us something we DIDN'T know. The law was attempted and rejected already.
EAT LESS! IF YOUR SITTING AROUND PLAYING GAMES ALL DAY YOU DONT NEED 6000 CALORIES A MEAL!
your eating habits should reflect how much phisical work you do
\for example, Amish people eat what most other people consider fatty foods. but they do large amounts of physical labor, so they burn that all off. so eat sensibly and/or burn it off.
I propose that we place a 5% tax on all SUVs and RVs, as well as a 2% tax on ecotourism and a 1.5% tax on outdoor and sports equipment, to fund universal high speed internet access for those poor children.
Oh, and let's toss in a 10% tax on any cup of coffee that costs more than $2, since anyone who's drinking $5 coffee probably already has high speed access in the coffee shop.
Damn it, stop laughing. I'm serious!
thats just lame.
if any1 has any advice for the topic plz help. thnx
if ur agenst dat den giv me a gud enuf reason that will actually make me say, hey wait a minute what dat persons saying is right..
plzz get bak 2me tnx