Oklahoma Politician Wants To Tax Violent Video Games [Slashdot]

[DP ServBot]

dotarray writes "According to an Oklahoma politician, video games help cause many problems affecting the youth of today, but they can also help solve those same problems. Representative William Fourkiller, a Democrat, has proposed a 1% tax on every video game sold which has a Teen, Mature or Adults Only rating. He explains that half of the money would go towards helping to get kids playing outside, while the other half would be placed into a bullying prevention fund."

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[VertigoProcess]

This is not a big deal... what like 50 cents for each game? And the money goes to a ggod cause.... go for it...

[markusman64ds]

That's 25 cents to each cause per game sold. Not bad considering that if a game sells 1 million copies, they are making $250000 for each cause.

I'm talking to a servbot.

[buzz_n64]

It's not the cost that's the problem, it's the fact that they're doing this sort of thing at all, what next Rated R movie tax? Fuck this shit!

[Garry Silljo]

They say its for good causes but I'd bet it gets dumped into the general fund and used on any old BS.

[RP2A03]

They say its for good causes but I'd bet it gets dumped into the general fund and used on any old BS.

This shit always happens. Then they'll say a 1% tax is not enough and it will become 3%. Then the 3% tax will become 4%, and every few years it will go up, and up, and up, and up...

[Gameguy]

...while the other half would be placed into a bullying prevention fund.

So instead of being forced to give your money to a bully you'll be forced to give it to taxes. Super awesome.

[LaughingMAN.S9]

omg oklahoma.....shut the fuck up.

[SpaceHarrier]

My response to this proposed tax:

KILLING SPREE! ! !

[Tupin]

I remember reading a comment on another stupid Oklahoma story: "If Oklahoma didn't exist, The Onion would have invented it."

[Clownzilla]

Taxes should never be used steer social change one way or another. Taxes in the US were originally created to generate revenue to run basic every day operations of our country but have been twisted to be an insturment of social change. All this tax will do is

1. Further stereotype gaming as the cause of youth violence.

2. Just create another revenue stream (which will keep growing percentage wise) for an already bloated government.

None of this will actually help bullying or obisity because the government is great at throwing money at a problem and not fixing it. Regardless, even if bullying and obisity were totally erradicated does anybody actually think the government will get rid of this tax. The poor will always be poor, the abused will always be abused, and the sick will always be sick because there is WAY too much cash being made for the government and their corporate buddies by not fixing these problems. Remember, we work for the government now. The government stopped working for us years ago.