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Posted on 01/25/2006 10:19:00 PM PST by yayforlater
Though incumbent Governor Rick Perry is almost assured to win the Republican nomination for this year's gubernatorial election in Texas, he does face three longshot challengers. One of them, Corpus Christi rancher Star Locke, has proposed eliminating property taxes in the Lone Star State with revenue from taxing three things he finds undesirable. Specifically, Locke is proposing a $10,000 per-abortion tax on medical clinics that perform abortions and a 10 percent tax on all sodas containing sugar.
However, gamers will be especially alarmed by the third part of Locke's property-tax-relief proposal--a 50 percent tax on "violent video games." "I take the position that the Founding Fathers took: that the power to tax is the power to destroy," he told the Amarillo Globe News. "So our concept is that we need to tax things we don't want and you want to not tax things that you want to encourage."
However, in the unlikely event he is sent to the governor's mansion, Locke would create a 10-member board that label games are violent. The tax itself would be levied against the publishers of said games--and quickly. "Once it's reviewed, the tax would be levied swiftly," he said.
I give it a BIG thumbs down.
It starts to enter a bunch of questions about speech and expression.
This guy sounds like a real loon. Another yupyup aiming to use tax policy as a social-engineering tool. Not exactly an asset to the "home team".
The new Vice Squad.
He is an unAmerican political hack of the most dangerous kind. The kind of reckless politician who would say anything to gain power. Hopefully, the people of Texas will send him packing, before the rest of us have to.
He sounds about as crazy as that guy who runs Turkmenistan.
How about a $1 tax on each chicken fried steak, $30 transit fee for anybody with a Oklahoma license plate, $1000 fee if your son`s called junior, and a $5000 fine if "You don`t drive friendly"
I am with ya here!
The smoking nazis will hate this. If their ox is being gored, then taxing unhealthy behavior and products is terrible. : )
This is what happens when we allow the government to use taxes to control behavior of those we hate and fear. There is a lot of behavior I don't like and that costs my society money! If I were a smoking nazi and consistent, I would give a list of punitive taxes for a politician to enact. Hopefully, I would nail a bunch of smoking nazis with a ten million dollar tax on their favorite vice. And as long as smoking taxes are so high as to attempt to put smokers in poverty, I am all for taxing the hell out of everyone's vices - in equality. We might as well all be in poverty together. ; )
I wish they'd impose a $300 transit fee on Tennessee plates here..
A 50% tax on violent video games? Then the government would surely have a financial stake in the elimination of violent video games - right?
Sell his ranch and use the procedes to lower the TX debt. Then vote for Eaker.
I can't say whether I agree with this statement or not, because I haven't heard anything about any of his challengers in the primary- If they are all like this dude, the primary just might be a cakewalk, however, Perry is in trouble methinks because of some of his actions regarding state employees, especially from the challenge from Carol Keeton Strayhorn- ("mom" to White house press spokesman Scott McClellan) who is running as an Independant, but is really a Republican. It's gonna be interesting.
"I take the position that the Founding Fathers took: that the power to tax is the power to destroy,"
Can you detect the contradiction in Locke's statements?
He proposes to raise revenue from three things he also proposes to destroy -- with tax rates that will, in all liklihood, result in their demise.
And where would that leave the state's revenue?
Locke is like those states who tax cigarette smokers to fund anti-smoking programs -- they can't afford to have the smokers quit.
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
Wow, what woodwork did this guy come out from ? THat's just a bit too looney.
Besides, I like 'high calorie' snacks.
Is Risk considered a violent video game???
we need to lower taxes, not change them up to fit the mold of 'big governent conservatism'.
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