$10,000 tax per abortion?!?

Ladewig said:
I'll bite, is it the soft drink tax or the video game tax that is unconsitutional?
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I suspect the video game tax, as it restricts free speech, if it where to apply to all video games it would not be unconstitutional, but as it applies only to games with certain content, then is may be unconstitutional.

As ever, I may be completely wrong.
 
brodski said:
I suspect the video game tax, as it restricts free speech, if it where to apply to all video games it would not be unconstitutional, but as it applies only to games with certain content, then is may be unconstitutional.

As ever, I may be completely wrong.
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I think that interpretation is likely correct.

It's also an unenforceable tax: just buy your games over the internet from out-of-state vendors, and there's nothing Texas can do about it. So it would just hurt local vendors, while doing little to stop the spread of violent video games.
 
Ziggurat said:
I think that interpretation is likely correct.

It's also an unenforceable tax: just buy your games over the internet from out-of-state vendors, and there's nothing Texas can do about it. So it would just hurt local vendors, while doing little to stop the spread of violent video games.
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"morality" taxes are often an end in themselves. The "problem" need not be dealt with, but it must be seen to be dealt with.
 
Ziggurat said:
It's also an unenforceable tax: just buy your games over the internet from out-of-state vendors, and there's nothing Texas can do about it.
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On a different topic they could criminalize possession of wire coat hangers ...
 
Ziggurat said:
I think that interpretation is likely correct.

It's also an unenforceable tax: just buy your games over the internet from out-of-state vendors, and there's nothing Texas can do about it. So it would just hurt local vendors, while doing little to stop the spread of violent video games.
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Not necessarily; there are some things that cannot be shipped interstate to many states because of state regulations and taxes --eg. hard liquor.

Incidentally, my state, among others, taxes all out-of-state mail-order purchases. It's called the Fair Use Tax. No one pays it, and i've never heard of it being enforced; but it is a potential weapon if the state wants to get nasty (and it makes nearly everyone in this state a tax-dodging criminal).
 
Once again, my home state comes off looking like Iran.
 
luchog said:
Not necessarily; there are some things that cannot be shipped interstate to many states because of state regulations and taxes --eg. hard liquor
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Hard liquor is specifically a Constitutionally-named exception to the general principle of free interstate trade. Texas, or any other state, doesn't have the authority to prevent out of state mail-order purchases of violent video games any more than it has the authority to accredit its own ambassadors or print its own stamps; any law attempting to do so would be swatted down almost immediately in Federal court.
 
luchog said:
Not necessarily; there are some things that cannot be shipped interstate to many states because of state regulations and taxes --eg. hard liquor.
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I don't remember the hard liquor exception that drkitten notes, but of course, that's not the only issue, since states ban mail ordering of other goods as well, so I'm not sure he's totally correct. But as a recent Supreme Court case regarding internet wineries held, such restrictions can only be applied to both in-state and inter-state shipments: they cannot forbid such shipments for out-of-state vendors if they don't also forbid it for in-state vendors. So I think they'd need to go the extra step of actually forbidding in-state mail order of violent DVD's in order to stop out-of-state shipments, which would require more obvious absurdity.

Incidentally, my state, among others, taxes all out-of-state mail-order purchases. It's called the Fair Use Tax. No one pays it, and i've never heard of it being enforced; but it is a potential weapon if the state wants to get nasty (and it makes nearly everyone in this state a tax-dodging criminal).
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I think the reason they don't enforce it is because it would probably be found unconstitutional. I think that counts as regulating inter-state trade, and only congress is allowed to do that, not the states.
 
Tony said:
Once again, my home state comes off looking like Iran.
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ROTFL! Oh, thanks for that one *wipes tear from eye*

Yah, here in California, yet again the law to prohibit the sale of certain rated videogames has been deemed unconstitutional. The red herring once again gets away from those trying to pin violence onto some sort of media.
 
CENOBITE said:
Yah, here in California, yet again the law to prohibit the sale of certain rated videogames has been deemed unconstitutional. The red herring once again gets away from those trying to pin violence onto some sort of media.
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Oh, c'mon - you don't think Der Governator is going to p.o. the same guys he's going to be begging for work after the next election, do you? (chuckle)
 
Art Vandelay said:
Where?
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Amendment XXI, section 2:
The transportation or importation into any state, territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
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States are specifically permitted to make laws regarding transportation and importation of intoxicating liquors. In the more general case, Congress (at the Federal level) has the power " To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes," (Article I, section 9) which state regulations on video games or other goods would infringe upon.
 
CENOBITE said:
Wow... he's wearing a shirt made out of an American flag. Guess he dosn't mind sweating on his country's flag.
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star_signing_mainpage.jpg

He should be shot for treason:

FLAG CODE
Sec. 8. — Respect for flag
No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

d. The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
 
Psi Baba said:
He should be shot for treason.
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You could have ended the post there, IMHO.

I'd like to see him indicted for one count of murder for every US soldier and Iraqi citizen killed over there.

What IS it with Presidents from Texas? They all seem to want to fight a land war in Asia!
 
Kopji said:
It must be good to be governor of a state where this represents the quality of your toughest opponent in the primary.

Texas government funded by abortions.

heh heh heh. yeah.
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The engineer in me is generating all the wrong images.

"We're short of funds to repair this road. Andrew, go knock up your wife and have her visit the clinic."
 
Ladewig said:
Don't forget that the U.S. federal government is run by Republicans who think absolutely nothing of balanced budgets. Personally, I prefer the tax-and-spend Democrats to the borrow-and-spend Republicans.
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I prefer a constitutional ammenement forbidding deficit spending except in times of war or a 2/3 supermajority to either of those.

Allowing the people to elect politicians who buy them goodies is a conflict of interest that should be forbidden.
 
Psi Baba said:
star_signing_mainpage.jpg

He should be shot for treason:

FLAG CODE
Sec. 8. — Respect for flag
No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

d. The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
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Eh, thank goodness for the constitution allowing you to wipe your ass with it (not that I ever would.) The symbol of freedom shall never supercede actual freedom.
 
Beerina said:
Eh, thank goodness for the constitution allowing you to wipe your ass with it (not that I ever would.) The symbol of freedom shall never supercede actual freedom.
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That, and Hank Hill's principle: "I think body piercing is a good thing. That way, you can tell if something's not right with a person."
 
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