VAT tax, this sucks!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I know nothing about the tax piece, but why would someone get both a spray tan AND a tanning bed session? Why risk skin cancer if you're going to cover the tan with spray tan? Why risk orange skin if you've already tanned? What am I missing.

I guess someone could tan for their psoriasis, covering the rest of themselves with sunblock, and then spray tan the sunblock. Are spray tan chemicals a good idea on psoriasis? Is this a frequent enough choice that they make packages for people like this?

Just curious.

 

[wtccheermom]

I know nothing about the tax piece, but why would someone get both a spray tan AND a tanning bed session? Why risk skin cancer if you're going to cover the tan with spray tan? Why risk orange skin if you've already tanned? What am I missing.

I guess someone could tan for their psoriasis, covering the rest of themselves with sunblock, and then spray tan the sunblock. Are spray tan chemicals a good idea on psoriasis? Is this a frequent enough choice that they make packages for people like this?

Just curious.

They do make packages that include both. I saw the same type of package when I lived in another state and tanned there so I believe it is a pretty common thing. I am not sure why someone would do both but they do. I am assuming it is to enhance their tan and not everyone turns orange from a spray tan. You would not believe the tanning beds they have I got put in one of the elite ones the other day because the standard I use was having the bulbs changed and it included an aroma therapy mist . A friend of mine tans at salon which has a tanning bed that you can watch TV in.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The tax unfairly targets people with lighter skin.

Nobody's being unfairly taxed. Artificial tanning is a choice. If it's being done for medical purposes, several posters have pointed out there are licensed medical personnel who can do the treatment so the patient is exempt from the 10% tax.

The bulk of artificial tanning is cosmetic. The customers who choose machines that use light get taxed. Nobody must get a tan. Many of us light(er)-skinned persons don't want tans, machine or natural (not to be confused with healthy exposure to the sun). No discrimination.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Nobody's being unfairly taxed. Artificial tanning is a choice. If it's being done for medical purposes, several posters have pointed out there are licensed medical personnel who can do the treatment so the patient is exempt from the 10% tax.

The bulk of artificial tanning is cosmetic. The customers who choose machines that use light get taxed. Nobody must get a tan. Many of us light(er)-skinned persons don't want tans, machine or natural (not to be confused with healthy exposure to the sun). No discrimination.

Choices and cosmetics are the plentiful. I hope this decision doesn't spread.

 

[wtccheermom]

Nobody's being unfairly taxed. Artificial tanning is a choice. If it's being done for medical purposes, several posters have pointed out there are licensed medical personnel who can do the treatment so the patient is exempt from the 10% tax.

The bulk of artificial tanning is cosmetic. The customers who choose machines that use light get taxed. Nobody must get a tan. Many of us light(er)-skinned persons don't want tans, machine or natural (not to be confused with healthy exposure to the sun). No discrimination.

Who are you to decide what a fair tax is and what isn't? Just because it is not your cup of tea doesn't make it wrong. Are you that closed minded? It is in unfair tax if it is being done of the premises of the statement below which I got from the link you posted. Also you talk about medical professionals doing it for those who need it well not all doctors provide it in their office plus it is very expensive especially if your insurance does not cover it.


From you link!
An indoor tanning tax will therefore "serve as a signal from the federal government to young people that indoor tanning is dangerous and should be avoided," said Dr. William James, president of the academy.

 

[fakereadhed]

Who are you to decide what a fair tax is and what isn't? Just because it is not your cup of tea doesn't make it wrong. Are you that closed minded? It is in unfair tax if it is being done of the premises of the statement below which I got from the link you posted. Also you talk about medical professionals doing it for those who need it well not all doctors provide it in their office plus it is very expensive especially if your insurance does not cover it.


From you link!
An indoor tanning tax will therefore "serve as a signal from the federal government to young people that indoor tanning is dangerous and should be avoided," said Dr. William James, president of the academy.

What bothers me is that this is a tax to supposedly curb behavior the govt deems as negative. I understand gas tax because it's supposed to help take care of the roads. Is this tax money going toward skin cancer treatment?

The bigger picture is that if they do succeed in curbing tanning behavior, this will affect jobs(tanning lotions, tanning bed sales, etc) as well as small businesses. What happened to the free market? It's no longer acceptable to let people have the power to choose what they do with their money and bodies. So tanning is bad, but medical marijuana brownie bars are OK? And you shouldn't tan your body, but you can choose what to do with your body if there's a fetus inside? Makes no sense to me.

 

[kaytieeldr]

It is in unfair tax if it is being done of the premises of the statement below which I got from the link you posted.

You keep missing the word "young". That aside, the purpose of the tax is to help fund the Health Care Bill. That's it; that's why it was enacted. This tax was chosen instead of a 5% tax on cosmetic surgery.

That it may "serve as a signal to" anyone would be a bonus - but with so many adults not caring, why would teens?

 

[wtccheermom]

You keep missing the word "young". That aside, the purpose of the tax is to help fund the Health Care Bill. That's it; that's why it was enacted. This tax was chosen instead of a 5% tax on cosmetic surgery.

That it may "serve as a signal to" anyone would be a bonus - but with so many adults not caring, why would teens?

Really their parents are unable to make those decisions for them so the government feels the need to? I am not going to get in to a discussion on the Health Care Bill but because it would be very political which is not allowed here but I thought the funding for it was not going to be done with any new taxes.

 

[eliza61]

We are truly spoiled if we're willing to give away our freedoms so easily. You do realize that's why people from other countries want to come here, right? They would LOVE to have the freedoms and bounty we have in this country. But us, well, we'll give it up in a second. The govt does not have my blessing to add extra taxes to things I enjoy to help save me from myself.

Nope, they come here for money. LOL Mexicans are hopping the fence left and right for cash. they could give a rats phatooie about any thing else.

And my inlaws are from Portugal, while they admire America, they have no desire to turn in their passports. They came to America because fil got a job with IBM to set up a European office. The nanosecond he was done, he happily went back to Lisborn.

the government is not trying to save you. You want to tan yourself to death, go right ahead. You still have that choice.

 

[Muushka]

Really their parents are unable to make those decisions for them so the government feels the need to? I am not going to get in to a discussion on the Health Care Bill but because it would be very political which is not allowed here but I thought the funding for it was not going to be done with any new taxes.

How about this one?

Chicago school bans homemade lunches

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110411/us_yblog_thelookout/chicago-school-bans-homemade-lunches-the-latest-in-national-food-fight

Apparently these parents cannot be trusted to feed their own children.

Anyone else feel like a frog in warm water?

 

[OceanAnnie]

How about this one?



http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110411/us_yblog_thelookout/chicago-school-bans-homemade-lunches-the-latest-in-national-food-fight

Apparently these parents cannot be trusted to feed their own children.

Anyone else feel like a frog in warm water?

Yes!

Hi Muushka!

 

[eliza61]

How about this one?



http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110411/us_yblog_thelookout/chicago-school-bans-homemade-lunches-the-latest-in-national-food-fight

Apparently these parents cannot be trusted to feed their own children.

Anyone else feel like a frog in warm water?

In some ways I do Muushka, but I think the problem is you guys are making a huge leap of faith that parents are stepping up to the plate. They are not. It's great that all the parents here on the dis are wonderful parents but unfortunately the real world is quite different.

Yes, it would be great if every parent knew what was going on in their childs life but once again turn on the tube and you will know that a great number of kids are in danger. Do we just say 'oh well its not my kid so if they die to bad?" Philadelphia has a drop out rate of almost 50%, so obviously these parents can't be trusted to do the right thing.

Do you know how many kids I get who's parent don't even feed their kids any food? Why do you think so many schools are providing free lunches in the first place? to make sure that at least once a day kids get a hot meal.

If parents were doing their job in the first place would we have kids on drugs, kids pregnant, inner city kids as young as five carrying hand guns? Sure there would be the rare case but if parents were stepping up to the plate the incidents would be truly rare but they are not.

Now don't get me wrong, I think this tanning tax is bogus in the extreme but I'm a firm believer that nothing changes policy in this country faster than money so I show my displeasure through my wallet but Childhood obsesity is costing this country billions in preventable diseases and life long health problem and the fact is our kids are getting fatter and sicker.

So the argument that parents are capable of doing what is best for their kids is no longer true. We've very effectively proven that they are not doing what's best for their kids and now it's effecting every one.

 

[Muushka]

In some ways I do Muushka, but I think the problem is you guys are making a huge leap of faith that parents are stepping up to the plate. They are not. It's great that all the parents here on the dis are wonderful parents but unfortunately the real world is quite different.

Yes, it would be great if every parent knew what was going on in their childs life but once again turn on the tube and you will know that a great number of kids are in danger. Do we just say 'oh well its not my kid so if they die to bad?" Philadelphia has a drop out rate of almost 50%, so obviously these parents can't be trusted to do the right thing.

Do you know how many kids I get who's parent don't even feed their kids any food? Why do you think so many schools are providing free lunches in the first place? to make sure that at least once a day kids get a hot meal.

If parents were doing their job in the first place would we have kids on drugs, kids pregnant, inner city kids as young as five carrying hand guns? Sure there would be the rare case but if parents were stepping up to the plate the incidents would be truly rare but they are not.

Now don't get me wrong, I think this tanning tax is bogus in the extreme but I'm a firm believer that nothing changes policy in this country faster than money so I show my displeasure through my wallet but Childhood obsesity is costing this country billions in preventable diseases and life long health problem and the fact is our kids are getting fatter and sicker.

So the argument that parents are capable of doing what is best for their kids is no longer true. We've very effectively proven that they are not doing what's best for their kids and now it's effecting every one.

E, I understand what you are saying. But my point was that even if the parents made the child's lunch, they are not allowed to bring it to school. See the difference?

As far as taking care of children's meals via school lunch, I don't really have a problem with it. The problem is much larger than the fact that the children are being fed school lunches. It is a huge social issue that seems to have no answer.

Having been brought up in poverty-no, not the kind of poverty that is talked about today. I am talking about no phone, no car, no school clothes, not enough to eat kind of poverty. Back then there was no welfare, we had to fend for ourselves. That kind of poverty makes you never want to live like that again. But today the government has created a society that makes it way too easy to not take care of yourself or your kids. That is the problem.

Separate issue from what my link was talking about!

 

[Muushka]

Yes!

Hi Muushka!

Hi Annie!

 

[eliza61]

E, I understand what you are saying. But my point was that even if the parents made the child's lunch, they are not allowed to bring it to school. See the difference?

As far as taking care of children's meals via school lunch, I don't really have a problem with it. The problem is much larger than the fact that the children are being fed school lunches. It is a huge social issue that seems to have no answer.

Having been brought up in poverty-no, not the kind of poverty that is talked about today. I am talking about no phone, no car, no school clothes, not enough to eat kind of poverty. Back then there was no welfare, we had to fend for ourselves. That kind of poverty makes you never want to live like that again. But today the government has created a society that makes it way too easy to not take care of yourself or your kids. That is the problem.

Separate issue from what my link was talking about!

Totally agree with you on that one. Unfortunately I think thats a result of us losing our "common" sense. What my dad use to say, throwing the baby out with the bath water. Instead of sensibly thinking up solutions for unhealthy lunches, school administrators are now coming up with these dracion measures.
Remember when school violence started to rise so they came up with the "no exclusions" policy? next thing you know poor little johnny was expelled for launching a spit ball. and hauled out of the classroom between 2 police officers, ti was ridiculous.

So now we're left with huge extremes. Now we are in an "either/or" mentality where nothing gets solved. We have created this unsustainable population but what do we do? One side wants to continue it, the other side wants to simply cut them off and let them die. both scenerios are not a solution, so we flounder.

very tricky to say the least. Ok I think I've highjacked a thread long enough.

 

[wtccheermom]

In some ways I do Muushka, but I think the problem is you guys are making a huge leap of faith that parents are stepping up to the plate. They are not. It's great that all the parents here on the dis are wonderful parents but unfortunately the real world is quite different.

Yes, it would be great if every parent knew what was going on in their childs life but once again turn on the tube and you will know that a great number of kids are in danger. Do we just say 'oh well its not my kid so if they die to bad?" Philadelphia has a drop out rate of almost 50%, so obviously these parents can't be trusted to do the right thing.

Do you know how many kids I get who's parent don't even feed their kids any food? Why do you think so many schools are providing free lunches in the first place? to make sure that at least once a day kids get a hot meal.

If parents were doing their job in the first place would we have kids on drugs, kids pregnant, inner city kids as young as five carrying hand guns? Sure there would be the rare case but if parents were stepping up to the plate the incidents would be truly rare but they are not.

Now don't get me wrong, I think this tanning tax is bogus in the extreme but I'm a firm believer that nothing changes policy in this country faster than money so I show my displeasure through my wallet but Childhood obsesity is costing this country billions in preventable diseases and life long health problem and the fact is our kids are getting fatter and sicker.

So the argument that parents are capable of doing what is best for their kids is no longer true. We've very effectively proven that they are not doing what's best for their kids and now it's effecting every one.

Sorry but I could not disagree with you more. I am not going to say I am mother of the year but I can assure that I am capable of making safe sensible decision for my children when it comes to their health, education, safety, and the list goes on and I do not need government interference because other parents can’t do the same. I also think that most parents are very capable of doing the same. I have to ask do you have children of your own?

 

[eliza61]

Sorry but I could not disagree with you more. I am not going to say I am mother of the year but I can assure that I am capable of making safe sensible decision for my children when it comes to their health, education, safety, and the list goes on and I do not need government interference because other parents can’t do the same. I also think that most parents are very capable of doing the same. I have to ask do you have children of your own?

Wtchcheermom, if you read the first part you will see that I said no one on the dis.

Yes, I have 3 kids of my own.

Ok, as usual we have taken a "general" comment and made it personal. Yes, I am fully aware there are terrific parents in every shape and form out there but equally as important is the FACT that there are at the very least uninterested parents.
And while you probably do make great decisions for your kids the FACT remains that there is an entire population of kids who are having lousy decision made for them and while we may think they will quietly disappear and fade away, trust me they do not. and yes the school systems and local governments have to deal with those kids also. whether you want to acknowledge it or not.
Living in a make believe "leave it to beaver" world will not work.

the FACT is that almost 1 out of 3 kids in this country are overweight and or obese. That is not what I would call making sensible decisions for your kids. No this does not mean that all these parents are cruella da villa.

The percentage of overweight children in the United States is growing at an alarming rate, with 1 out of 3 kids now considered overweight or obese.

Many kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video-game console. And today's busy families have fewer free moments to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy is the reality for many people in the new millennium.

Preventing kids from becoming overweight means adapting the way your family eats and exercises, and how you spend time together. Helping kids lead healthy lifestyles begins with parents who lead by example.http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/overweight_obesity.html

 

[wtccheermom]

Wtchcheermom, if you read the first part you will see that I said no one on the dis.

Yes, I have 3 kids of my own.

Ok, as usual we have taken a "general" comment and made it personal. Yes, I am fully aware there are terrific parents in every shape and form out there but equally as important is the FACT that there are at the very least uninterested parents.
And while you probably do make great decisions for your kids the FACT remains that there is an entire population of kids who are having lousy decision made for them and while we may think they will quietly disappear and fade away, trust me they do not. and yes the school systems and local governments have to deal with those kids also. whether you want to acknowledge it or not.
Living in a make believe "leave it to beaver" world will not work.

Well I am sorry I should have my rights as a parent to decide what is best for my children taken from me because others can’t.

 

[rubato]

Since we Americans are apparently too dumb to manage our own lives, maybe they should also add on an extra tax for fast food, candy and pop.

Haven't you figured out that we Americans ARE too dumb to manage our own lives? Have you seen the obesity rates in this country? Or the frightening rise in type 2 diabetes? I would rather have these items taxed to the moon and make people stop and think than pay for people to have surgery and live on medication for the rest of their lives.

 

[Karlzmom]

1st, I don't tan.
2d, I could have seen this coming. Remember when the government started adding extra taxes to cigarettes? Sold it as a great revenue maker, basically a "sin tax" and by the way since we all know smoking is bad for everyone then the smoker really ought to shoulder more for the medical care they will cause? Non-smokers applauded with a smugness because it wasn't them that would be paying more. Now we see proposals for increased taxes on certain foods, which cars you drive, etc. Once we all accepted that "certain people" should shoulder burdens because of their life choices then we opened the door for EVERY life choice to be targeted. So, today there are a few more, more will be coming. Wonder who will be the person/people who get to decide how all the rest of us should live and ensure that we *pay* for choices they don't agree with? Remember, we were promised *price signals* to make us, the dumb public, change our behaviors....and you thought you were in control of your own life...
3d, I hope that the smug posters who laugh off the concern with a "so don't do X" wake up a realize that today its something they don't care about....are they so sure tomorrow it won't be?