Let's tax games, proposes Texas senator

by James Ransom-Wiley { Apr 28th 2006 at 3:25PM }

Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa of Texas recently proposed a plan that would generate an estimated $65 million, which could be used to build or upgrade public schools. That plan is to apply a special tax to video game sales. The logic behind the proposal is that if school-aged kids are spending a lot of money on video games — or parents are spending a lot of money on games for their school-aged kids — these consumers can spend a little bit more in order to improve their school systems.

What's outrageous is that the proposal has not been extended to other forms of popular consumer entertainment. Music? Movies? Why doesn't Hinojosa want to tax these formats?

Tags: Juan Hinojosa, JuanHinojosa, senator, tax, Texas

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

funkonaut @ Apr 28th 2006 3:31PM

Well whaddaya know. Another Democrat that wants to raise taxes to pay for social programs. Nothing to see here. Move along. :(

Back_Lit @ Apr 28th 2006 3:31PM

Actually...I see no problem with that if its a FLAT tax, not some % BS. Tack on $2 a game to help poor school systems? Not a bad idea to be honest. I do agree however they should also consider taxing other entertainment mediums as well.

El Tiante @ Apr 28th 2006 3:33PM

So democrats want to raise taxes..?
Huh..Who knew?

Freezair @ Apr 28th 2006 3:34PM

Let's tax jerks, proposes Joystiq reader.

Honestly. Somebody needs to set these people down with some Super Mario Bros. 3 or Katamari Damacy (working from both ends of the chronology here) and let them feel the love. If he was taxing all entertainment, yeah, I get it, but otherwise it's just another piece of balatantly anti-gaming legislature. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail and see how asinine such a proposal is.

Jose @ Apr 28th 2006 3:36PM

He's probably a farking Democrat too. God, why do they keep calling themselves Liberals? It's like Republicans who support the war, and death penalty calling themselves Christians.

Madjack @ Apr 28th 2006 3:40PM

Actaully, God supports the death penalty and there is plenty of evidence in the Bible to support this. I also support the war and the removal of a vicious dictator, but I do not support increasing the government to support more social programs. Fix what we currently have, don't just add more stuff and hope that helps.

JodyAnthony @ Apr 28th 2006 3:41PM

Jose's post made me laugh out loud here at work. now people are looking at me.

Gonzo @ Apr 28th 2006 3:42PM

I would be all for it if I really believed these politicians would put the money towards education: there's a system that needs to be revolutionized more than anything.

But let's face it, that's what the lottery was supposed to do: help fund education. Unfortunately the money is used to pad said politicians' pockets and fund their own muddled concepts.

It's BS.

Gonzo @ Apr 28th 2006 3:45PM

This sounds more like an idea "Diamond" Joe Quimby would come up with.
"Er aaa; Isch been ein gamer."

Fanguad @ Apr 28th 2006 3:47PM

I have a brilliant idea. Let's tax the money wasted on BS crap like this. That would generate $65 million easy.

bustarounds @ Apr 28th 2006 3:47PM

Helping the Public Schools is not considered a social program, it's considered a right under the Constitution. The document that seems to be re-written daily by this Administration. I'm against any new tax, especially for video games, but if it wasn't for the Republicans running up the deficit maybe we wouldn't need to raise taxes. And I don't think it's the Democrates that call themselves "Liberals" it's the Republicans calling the Democrats liberals.

Nonreligious nut @ Apr 28th 2006 3:47PM

Great...I love a benevolent God that loves a good killing. That's the same type of mentality that lead religious nuts to carry out 9/11. Take a step back from the man-made Bible and think logically about whether a loving God would be a fan of killing his creations. In the meantime, vote Libertarian and truly put the government in its place.

Jose @ Apr 28th 2006 3:48PM

Madjack,
Yes, the God of the old testament was very angry, but the root word in "Christian" is what? Jesus was a long haired hippy who challenged the old way of doing things, he didn't help to maintain a status quo. He taught to love your brother as you loved yourself (with God being the father, we are all brothers). He taught you to turn the other cheek. And most importantly, he showed that God was truly a different God than what we had believed, by giving his life without lifting so much as a finger to stop it.

State sanctioned murder is still murder.

Pince @ Apr 28th 2006 3:48PM

I think this moron has failed to realize that a HUGE part of the gamer populace (and those likely spending the most money on gaming) are not young school-age kids and their doting parents, but, rather, single, child-less adults between 18 and 30 who just want to spend what meager funds they can spare on their gaming hobby without getting screwed over by some ridiculous tax.
He seems to be operating on the logic that video games are the hobby of rich 10-year-old boys whose parents buy them any game they so desire. Sure, those kids exist, but in taking some money out of their pockets, a tax like that will also take millions of poor college students and young-adults living in a cheap apartment and bleed them dry. Booh to that!

KevinM @ Apr 28th 2006 3:52PM

He doesn't want those taxed because he uses those forms of entertainment. I mean why would HE be forced to pay more too? The humanity!

Jose @ Apr 28th 2006 3:54PM

Hey, why not tax churches! *gasp* I mean, they can't spend all their money on relocating priests to new communities with new little boys to sexually abuse. There's gotta be some leftovers that can be taxed.

Barrett @ Apr 28th 2006 3:56PM

Texas Lottery:
# Total transfers to the Foundation School Fund equal more than $8.0 billion ($8,034,186,919)
# Total transfers to the State of Texas equal more than $13.3 billion ($13,316,989,600)

The question for me seems to be, how is $65 million going to make the difference, and then why the hell are video games getting treated like cigarettes and alcohol?

Erik Novak @ Apr 28th 2006 3:56PM

Wiiiiiiiiiiiii! I love watching a topic about a politician spiral out of control.

ThePete @ Apr 28th 2006 3:58PM

So, $400 billion dollars on two wars with little progress, but they decide taxing virtual killing in video games is a good idea.

Here's an idea folks: less real killing then we'll talk about taxing our virtual killing.

I think that sounds fair.

Ian @ Apr 28th 2006 4:00PM

If he does this then everyone will just buy online so they don't have to pay tax.

Auros @ Apr 28th 2006 4:01PM

If you want to voice your opinion and support stopping this tax, e-mail him directly at:

http://www.hinojosa.senate.state.tx.us/#form

Let your voice be heard!

funkonaut @ Apr 28th 2006 4:03PM

bustarounds, go back and read the US Constitution. Nowhere in there is education offered as a right. Stop making stuff up, commie. :-P

Samurai @ Apr 28th 2006 4:04PM

"I also support the war and the removal of a vicious dictator."

I wonder if you also supported to invade and occupy a country because they definitely had Weapons of Mass Destruction.

I bet you believe that he landed that plane on the carrier all by himself.

Freezair @ Apr 28th 2006 4:05PM

Jose: Because of a little thing called the "First Amendment."

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or the free excercise therof..."

So we couldn't tax churches even if we tried. It's about as illegal as illegal gets.

32_footsteps @ Apr 28th 2006 4:12PM

You know what? I'll bet good money this passes and when someone tries to fight it in court, it'll hold up.

Seriously, for all those that complain about tax raises and whatnot, a tax on a luxury or entertainment item is often treated with a shrug. And since the proposal would hit all video games equally regardless of rating, you wouldn't have any 1st Amendment issues being brought up.

Now, if the Video Game Voters Network actually supported the concerns of actual video gamers, they'd take action on this. However, they're just a front for the ESA, and since the tax is added after the MSRP, their income isn't going to be affected by this at all. And since their income isn't touched, they're not going to lift a finger. So much for a political action group that will take a stand for video gamers' concerns.

Jose @ Apr 28th 2006 4:16PM

Freezair,
But todays churches are profit machines. They tax their parishoners so that they can build more churches and then convert a little more of the population thus creating more revenue for the churches.

And at a time in which Guantanamo Bay undermines the 6th and police break up any group of more than three hispanic or black americans undermining the 1st why pick and choose which amendments are valid and when. If a single one of the amendments is not enforced it renders them all worthless.

The1 @ Apr 28th 2006 4:30PM

That JACKAZZZZZZZ should tax the OIL companies. However, he is from TEXAS what do you expect?

Caveman @ Apr 28th 2006 4:32PM

Are you a fool?.. You have to pay tax. You don't have to pay the Church.

Scythe @ Apr 28th 2006 4:41PM

how about we Tax his stripper programs you know everytime he visit's his favorite stripper she chargers him a sale's tax of $500. That's about fair I would say.

Stupid Dems always trying to take more of my money.

Prof-KOS @ Apr 28th 2006 4:49PM

Holy Crap, a political and theological debate. Is this really necessary. Since when do people want define themselves and ALL they're thinking into such a strict mold. I'm politically conservative, HOWEVER, I would hate to be called a Republican. Come on people, there's more than the black and white approach, think in shades of gray and agree with decisions not parties. Is it necessary to start flaming each other's politics when almost everyone here agrees that this is a badly proposed tax. Sure we may all have different reasons and our politics may be different, but geez, Democrats don't own the monopoly on dumb proposals or anti-video game legislature. Why is it that the first time someone mentions anything about politics some non-thinking Democrat spews out some line from Jon Stewart and inevitably some Republican starts responding with some trite party line. Think for yourselves.

crono141 @ Apr 28th 2006 4:54PM

To bad no one in Guantanamo is a US citizen, so the US constitution doesn't APPLY to them.

Bleeding heart moron

Egg Fou @ Apr 28th 2006 4:57PM

Texas as a state has no state income tax, and they need more money from somewhere. I would much rather pay a 5% game tax than them adding a state income tax. I will still be paying less taxes than if I lived in another state. His reasons about grade school kids are a joke though, someone needs to point him to some market research showing who is actually playing games. In the mean time I will keep enjoying the low taxes here.

Prof-KOS @ Apr 28th 2006 4:58PM

32 Footsteps,I agree 100%.

The real problem is not that nobody will go to bat for us, but that we won't go to bat for ourselves.

So many times we see something like this and get upset and post and whine on game sites, but I bet not even a fifth of those people eloquently making claims against this will actually do anything about it. Follow the link above (#20). Let him know what you think, and do us all a favor and try not to be crass with your messages to the Senator, when you do you help no one and do mare harm to the gamer image than anything. There are way too many idiots out there pining to prove these guys right about us.

lordroba @ Apr 28th 2006 5:08PM

Hmm...

Just wondering. Would this in any way affect the price of games in Canada? I know we get alot of games from the States here, so I was wondering if this stupid tax thing would carry over when suppliers were buying and importing games from the US into Canada.

jp007 @ Apr 28th 2006 5:10PM

bustarounds:

Hell no are public schools a right under the constitution. Where the hell did you learn about our government? Probably a public school, right? In fact, the federal department of education is really an unconstitutional entity. Those types of powers should be left up to the individual state governments, or, god forbid, the local people. Apparently YOU have a knack for rewriting the constitution, and it doesn't surprise me that your using this misinformation to defend the institution that fostered your ignorance.

J. Gonzo @ Apr 28th 2006 5:18PM

The only reason he can get away with proposing a tax on games is that gamers typically don't vote, or at least that's the perception (we're thought of as lazy couch potatoes who don't show up at the polls). 2006 is an election year - If you don't want to see crap like this get out and vote in November. Between now and then, write to your elected representatives and tell them you aren't going to stand for legislation like this.

32_footsteps - your conspiracy theory doesn't hold up. A tax on games means higher prices for all of us (or at least gamers in Texas). Higher prices = fewer games sold, so this will hurt the games industry too. In fact, this will probably be the first time gamers and content producers will agree on keeping prices down.

TC @ Apr 28th 2006 5:34PM

Bart: "Didn't you wonder why you were getting checks for doing absolutely nothing?"

Grandpa: "I figured 'cause the Democrats were back in power."

:)

bustarounds @ Apr 28th 2006 5:38PM

Simmer down fellas. I should of stated the Texas Constitution (Where the Senator, the current President and Myself are from). My bad.

Hoffer @ Apr 28th 2006 5:45PM

Politicians are retarded.

Zeef Freed @ Apr 28th 2006 5:49PM

HEY CHUY-Sit back down on yer hem donut,would ya? Yer head's blockin'the aisle!

13bmsp @ Apr 28th 2006 5:50PM

crono141:

US military institutions, are considered US soil, and are subject to all US laws. So all the prisoners held at US military bases anywhere in the world are afforded all the same protections they would have if they were held inside the borders of the US...at least they would have such protections in theory. reality oftens diviates from the theory.

Morgan @ Apr 28th 2006 6:29PM

The guy's an idiot, but this is just the type of tax that people support. People complain about Christian moralists, but the real behavior control and fun police folks are on the left. "Luxury" taxes on cars or boats that are deemed too expensive, "sin" taxes on alcohol and tobacco, and now taxes like these on games. They argue that playing games isn't good for you, so apparently you should be punished for something they don't like. And as long as it's a relatively small segment of society, it gets done. It's the most pathetic form of kneejerk thought.

zenprism @ Apr 28th 2006 6:53PM

Nobody has actually pointed out that Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa actually owns a Nintendo 64. He still goes back for hits of Jet Force Gemini every now and again.
He doesn't use the Rumble Pack, however. The forth dimension scares him.

HotShotX @ Apr 28th 2006 7:05PM

Yeah, this is just another stupid tax/politician targetting a group of people that (of course) the one proposing it is not a part of.

A better solution (from what I can gather), is the movement of eliminating all taxes altogether and just replacing it with a single, and higher income tax. That way, no one ever has to file taxes every year, since everyone will have already had their share taken out, and commodities will cost less since there is no extra tax that needs to be placed upon it.

I can't remember the link to the proposal, but it currently has about maybe 2-3 House Represenatives representing it and maybe 800,000 citizens that know about it. But do some research, and of course, give this guy an email, and speak up.

Rob @ Apr 28th 2006 7:40PM

"What's outrageous is that the proposal has not been extended to other forms of popular consumer entertainment. Music? Movies? Why doesn't Hinojosa want to tax these formats?"

give emm time

EatingPie @ Apr 28th 2006 7:49PM

I am already pay TWO taxes for schools. My standard-issue state tax which supports schools. Also a "Mello Roo" tax -- EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE -- based on the square footage of my home.

This is indicative of one thing: GOVERNMENT MISMANAGEMENT of OUR money. They are doing a terrible job, and if adding yet ANOTHER tax to the mess isn't evidence, I don't know what is.

I don't care if you're Republican or Democrat, Liberal or Conservative, the people we entrust to run our country are doing a TERRIBLE JOB at managing OUR money. Especially in terms of schools.

-Pie

sgtfubar @ Apr 28th 2006 8:05PM

Am I wrong in assuming almost everything and anything is taxed at each stage of production, as well as in retail?

Sounds like maybe the bureacracy needs to learn how to use our tax dollars efficiently first, rather than come up with another way to stick it to the consumer.

How about an educational lottery? It seems to work here in NC, and people are eating it up.

EatingPie @ Apr 28th 2006 8:18PM

Wow lots of (very understandable) misconceptions about Christianity and churches.

Jose - The book "Dead Man Walking" was written by a Christian... one who actually spends time with death row inmates, and the families of said inmates' victims. Read it (the movie doesn't even come close) -- it illustrates the need for (and lack of) compassion for both inmates and families. Also, the Catholic Church is oficially opposed to the death penalty.

Madjack - God himself commanded the death penalty, yes. In the Old Testament. In the Old Covenant. Pre-Jesus. Before Jesus, God had to make rules/regulation that were un-ideal (otherwise, total anarchy). After Jesus, we get the idea (not necessarily living up to it of course). Jesus really didn't say much at all about the Death Penalty! ;) (This, however, is an ongoing debate in Christian circles.)

Nonrelious Nut - Good point! But there's no evidence God *loved* a good killing. After Jesus, I get the impression he wasn't thrilled with it at all. A necessary evil (our evil, not God's). So, no, he ain't a "fan" of killing his creations. Still, a totally valid question worthy of much more discourse than this thread.

Jose. In *general* churches are not money machines. Certainly, there are are "rich" churches -- Mormonism and Catholicism come to mind. But there are TONS of small "grass roots" churches that struggle to make it. The majority? I have no statistics. But I can certainly see why you'd think this, as the high-profile churches tend to be building Crystal Cathedrals and Nuclear-Proof Temples. :(

-Pie