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The role of the tanning salon tax II

 




Final thoughts on the material we discussed yesterday. 

I no longer identify as an anarcho-capitalist, or even as a libertarian, so I will not affect outrage over the very existence of an excise tax on tanning services. 

I will say, though, perhaps with the old instincts kicking in, that there seems to have been an underlying notion when the tax was conceived that the transaction is a suspect one, for public health reasons, and that if some of it is deterred in this way ... well and good. And I still dislike that sort of attitude. 

I suspect the general public is well aware that tanning -- at a beach or in a salon -- carries risk of skin cancer.  An adult patronizing a salon is making an informed choice, "yes I am somewhat increasing the risk of cancer, but I'm gonna look really good!"  One is or ought to be free to make that choice. One is or ought to be free to sell services to people who have made that choice. So ... I can see value in Senator Rand Paul's oft repeated view that there ought not to be such a tax. 

In the case of some Republicans, the taxing-is-bad thing combines with the association of this particular tax with Barack Obama and the signal achievement of his Presidency. 

The motive of the keep-the-tax view on the other part of the Republican split is symbolic deficit hawkishness. The revenue involved is not a lot. But it does let some of the 'hawks' say "we ARE doing something to address the deficit."  Also it is my impression that tanners in such salons are relatively upscale folks -- the working class gets its tans and its cancer on good beach days -- no point doing that indoors! So perhaps deficit hawkishness here is a symbolic way of saying "yes, we CAN bring ourselves to tax the rich -- so long as they buy tanning services." 

That said ... the more important point is that one of the greatest imperatives of this moment is a weakening of the political power of Trump and Trumpism.  I am willing to countenance a wide range of non-violent means to that end. And it may well be that as the budget process moves forward, the issue of tax-free tanning salons may prove a sore spot for the Trumpeting coalition, serving that great imperative by exacerbating its that coalition's internal tension.

So I cheer on whichever deficit hawks in the House pressed to drop from the bill finally voted on the language that would have repealed repeal of this tax, before it got to the floor.  I also cheer on Rand Paul and any Senator who believes that this is an issue out of the many issues in that one big sloppy bill that is worth making a fight over -- go put that repeal back in there, guys.  Go to the conference committee to fight over it. Yea you!  

Keep fighting, you guys.  You owe it to all you hold dear. 

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