Comments: 2 Comments (Go to Comments)
Categories: Commentary
Tags: politics, vgvn
I like the Video Game Voters Network. I think they provide a valuable service by informing gamers about issues that affect them and I think they do a great job of showing politicians that gamers aren’t ill-informed louts. I’m not sure where gamers rights fall in the spectrum of political importance, but anyone willing to tell Congress to keep their hands off my joystick is a friend of mine.
Having said that, I can’t get excited about their latest position.
Wisconsin State Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-Waunakee) wants to add a one-cent sales tax which will go to rehabilitate juvenile criminals. VGVN doesn’t say how the money will actually rehabilitate the juvies, but if it works, it sounds like Wisconsin is getting off cheap.
VGVN has a few specific issues with the plan:
This State Senator has essentially proposed a one-percent “sin tax” on video games, similar to taxes on alcohol and tobacco products, on top of the local five-percent sales tax.
I don’t see the problem here. Gamers come with a lot of nerd baggage, so associating games with cool stuff is fine with me. Plus, it’s hard to get worked up over a one-percent increase. Okay, you’re paying 60 cents more for a next-gen title. Cry me a river.
it unconstitutional to target video games
It is? I haven’t read the Consty in a while, but I don’t remember video games being constitutionally protected. Maybe there’s a Supreme Court ruling I’m missing.
The tax would hurt the hundreds of Wisconsin citizens whose jobs depend on the Wisconsin video game industry.
Wisconsin has a video game industry? Land of cheese Wisconsin? Miller Brewing Company Wisconsin? “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! Schlemiel! Schlemazl! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!” Wisconsin?
Anyway, sorry guys, I can’t get worked up about this. Also, I’d like to thank Father De Souza and VideoGameTrouble.Org for their dignified lack of response to Monday’s post.
On January 10th, 2008 at 12:34 pm, Anthony wrote:
What about the slippery slope argument? 60 cents today, 666 cents tomorrow?
On January 10th, 2008 at 12:41 pm, Terry wrote:
I don’t know how bills become laws in Wisconsin (hopefully there’s singing involved), but I assume the electorate is involved at some point. If Wisconsites want to vote themselves a “tax increase of the beast” or keep politicians who raise their taxes in office, then I can’t stop them.
Now can the VGVN do something about the $10 “collector’s tax” I’m paying on new games?