GOP leaps to the defense of the tanning industry

[lakepunk]

Good thank God someone is doing something to stop these misinformed girls from intentionally damaging the skin. Look at anyone who started tanning in the 80's. They all have wrinkles and many of them have to get treatment for skin cancer. If your going to bitch about money. I think I'll just go light up a cigarette and put the tanning bed on high. Then you will all be paying for my treatment in 30 years.

[boutchie06]

To Republicans, illness is punishment for sin and poverty is the rusult of sin. Affordable healthcare helps us avoid God's punishment. The fundamentalists believe that the ability to amass wealth and afford healthcare is a sign of moral character, that's why they say that health care is a priviledge.

[Smartassawhip]

The Republican party never lets me down when I want a good laugh. They are such a joke.

[blur880]

I voted for Obama, but why honestly, the Republicans in this clip have a great argument--though not a well executed argument.

It is a problem when the government starts taxing anything they don't like or when the government taxes things not related too or loosely related to something they are trying to fund.

It just makes future taxes on things like video games, movies, soda, etc. Why not tax products such as sugar and cheese?

I am not against most of the other taxes--but this is nuts.

[dmp079]

Cosmetic surgery or anything else cosmetic used as a luxury should not be in the bill unless it involves something that causes harm to the body. I.E. breast reduction or cancerous moles and warts. Tanning should not even be talked about in this bill. If people want to tan it should be covered in insurance health plans.

[Axekick11]

Tanning, especially in tanning salons does cause harm to the body. Cigarettes and Alcohol are taxed to death in this country so should be junk food, tanning salons, cosmetic surgeries, etc.. they all have the potential to increase everyone's health insurance premiums by causing unnecessary diseases.

[blur880]

Should tattoos be taxes then? What about a night club tax? Why don't we tax single people because they are more likely to get STDs?

Taxing individual behaviors is always messy.

Taxing cosmetic surgeries? What about children with birth defects or accident victims who already have enough medical expenses? Where do you draw the line?

[Axekick11]

@blur880 Kind of late being we will now have government oversight and regulations on the health insurance industry.

"Where do I draw the line?" Why do you believe there is a line?

I think anything voluntary and hazardous to ones health is the most appropriate things to tax. Smoking, drinking, sky diving, tanning salons, optional cosmetic surgeries. Tattoos pose no great health risk and are already regulated by the state. Night club = alcohol. Birth defects & accident victims aren't voluntary

[blur880]

@Axekick11 First, we have nothing yet. Second, my issue has nothing to do with government oversigh and regulations on the industry. Rather, it is about the legal ramifications of funding such legislation. I'm not against reform. I'm against stupid legislation.

[blur880]

@Axekick11 Think your statement through. Tax anything that is voluntary and hazardous---okay most abortions fit that category. Driving a car is voluntary and more dangerous than sky diving. Tattoos--you cares if it is regulated. It is voluntary and hazardous. You can't just pick and choose.

Let's just tax skiing, winter vacations, boat rides, swimming, bull riding, rock climbing.

Another problem is that many "hazardous" activities have many health benefits--see alcohol for one.

[Axekick11]

@blur880 You could tax abortions a million percent for all I care. I didn't know that tatttoos were hazardous if regulated, but if so, fine, tax it. Skiing, check, Winter vacations? like to Bahama's, how is that dangerous? I dont want to pick and choose. Driving is taxed via gasoline tax and automobile tax, pay road and bridge taxes, drivers lisence tax, car insurance taxes, etc.. but imposing a tax per accrued per mile suits me too.

[blur880]

@Axekick11 Well, the problem is that it isn't what I personally want or care about or what you want or care about. Hopefully, most people would agree that taxing abortions would be kind of crazy. We do have a constitution and hundreds of years of jurisprudence--hopefully things that have meaning.

As far as winter vacations, I was thinking more ski lodge and mountains, but whatever. Bahama's poses danagers, too. You have to get there for one, which is a risk to one's health. Sharks?

[blur880]

@Axekick11

Driving isn't taxed. Oil is taxed. This is the difference. The activity of tanning is being taxed--beyond sales tax. The activity of driving is not taxed. Perhaps electric cars help explain the difference to you. I'm not talking about property tax, either. It is a completely different type of tax.

Sounds like you are just saying yes to everything for the fun of it. I dought you'd like to be taxed at 80% of your income. But, your "yeses" seem to be adding up.

[Axekick11]

@blur880 If you've ever been on a toll highway such as in central Florida, or on a toll bridge then your driving has been taxed.

You began this with "where do we draw the line" and my point is that type of thinking doesn't apply to a constantly evolving and changing society. I'm not as opposed to being taxed as I am to tax revenues being wasted.

[blur880]

@Axekick11 Again, tolls are completely different. Tolls are taxing the use of specific roads--to help pay for those roads. It is not an absolute tax on a behavior. You just take other roads. Also, tolls are extremely rare throughout the country. And, lastly, and most importantly, perhaps, tolls are done on the local and state level. Local levels have different constitutional power sources, so taxing is totally different. So, it's different in about every way.

[Axekick11]

@blur880 look, shark attacks are extremely rare, more so than toll bridges and roads. I don't know what point you're attempting to make with this repeated back and forth, I truly do not see one. You started with a sarcastic comment that I agreed with and since you wont drop it. Don't like it, write your congressman, don't like him, vote him out or relocated to another country.

[blur880]

@Axekick11 What does rare have to do with anything? I'd say nothing. What does writing my congressman have to do with anything? And, my first comment was not sarcastic, but thanks for agreeing. :) Perhaps I was presenting too much of a legal argument--or at least thinking in those terms. I'm thinking of this all on a constitutional/jurisprudence level--not a "this is okay just because or because I like it" level.

[voyeurdug]

No prob for Boehner. He gets his ~weird~ tan from a spray can.

[KataVideo]

john barasso is supposedly a doctor! he should be in favor of anything that puts cancer shops out of business!

what an evil little fuck.

[12TattooYou]

@voyeurdug he actually gets his tan from the golfcourse that the tax payers foot the bill for , I think the amount was something like 88,000.00 for 2008.

[callouschristian]

I didn't think there was a tanning bed lobby but I guess anyone can bribe a GOP congressperson.

[kaysandesses]

Anyone with the slightest bit of sense knows Boehner is behind this faux outrage.