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Taxing Sci-Fi Products to Fund NASA?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the what-gets-taxed-for-the-doj dept.

LordNimon writes "According to an article in the Huntsville (AL) Times, Michael Williams, a Republican candidate for Congress, is proposing a 1% tax on any science fiction- or space-related products (e.g. books, toys, and games) and using that money to fund NASA. At first I thought this guy was crazy, considering the administrative nightmare of determining which products should be taxed. But then I realized something - this tax would make those who are most interested in space the primary source of space development funding. Instead of making everyone pay for NASA, those who care most about it also fund it the most. Maybe if the guy didn't work in a supermarket, he'd be taken more seriously."

11 of 602 comments (clear)

  1. let drugs pay for it by guest12 · · Score: 2, Funny

    a portion of drug money can be used for various social causes, like federal elections

  2. What a nightmare by tony_gardner · · Score: 4, Funny

    So how will he define science fiction?
    Will LOTR be taxed? (Aliens)
    Will Bond be taxed? (Gismos)
    Would Shrek/Monsters inc/Toy story be taxed?
    Would stories featuring missiles or fighter planes have the space tax?

    I personally favour the idiot tax. All politicians favouring new and innovative taxes will give 50% of their earnings to NASA. That oughta fix it.

    1. Re:What a nightmare by Jester998 · · Score: 3, Funny

      "I personally favour the idiot tax. All politicians favouring new and innovative taxes will give 50% of their earnings to NASA. That oughta fix it."

      I think you should take that one step further with the 'Techlogist Pain and Suffering' tax, where those /certain/ politicians who favour technology bills about which they have NO clue have to give the entire funding for their next 5 political campaigs to the technology sector for all the headaches they cause us. We will also get the right to beat them senseless at every opportunity and at our leisure. And just to set an example, we'll make this bill retroactive until... the DMCA. :)

  3. Enforcement? by tester13 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ok I gotta ask, what happens if I write a book that is not exactly science fiction but sort of "stretches" science a little bit? Is that tax evasion?

    Is Kurzweil's book SciFi?

    What about fantasy genre? Is that taxable, or are the flying dragons taxes exempt?

  4. TAX THE FUCK OUT OF VOYAGER by Voyager+Sucks+Ass · · Score: 0, Funny

    If they tax the holy living fuck out of people who watch Star Trek: Voyager, then maybe those dogfuckers at Paramount studios will quit this syndication bullsthit, and I can finally have some peace and quiet while I'm trying to whack off to CG porn of Seven of Nine getting fucked up the ass by Lieutenant Commander Data.

    Or is that going to be taxed too, under this idea?

    Oh fuck.

  5. Re:Well, another idea by Spy+Hunter · · Score: 3, Funny

    Here's another idea: Instead of having a plethora of specified taxes on various products going to a multitude of different agencies, why not have a unified sales tax. This allows the government to redistribute the money to different organizations as needed, with a minimum amount of hassle. Oh wait, that's already how it works. I think it's fine then.

    --
    main(c,r){for(r=32;r;) printf(++c>31?c=!r--,"\n":c<r?" ":~c&r?" `":" #");}
  6. Other great tax ideas by KurdtX · · Score: 3, Funny
    • Taxing air travelers to fund our diplomats, because they're the only ones who would be interested in our diplomacy with other countries
    • Adding a tax based on age to fund health care, because the elderly are more likely to get sick
    • Taxing students to fund the RIAA, because they're the ones most likely to be pirating music
    • Taxing the unemployed to fund Social Security, because they're the ones who would be most interested in it
    • Taxing beurocrats to fund recycling, because they're the only ones who waste paper in the volumes they do
    --

    Kurdt
    I'm not anti-social. Just pro-technology.
  7. Re:if it'll enlarge NASA's badget, it's good by CatKnight · · Score: 1, Funny

    hey if you want to donate 1% of your yearly income to nasa go right ahead. I, however, will be spending my 1% (more probably) on beer.

    --
    The Stone Age did not end for lack of stones, and when the oil age ends it will not be for lack of oil. --Bjorn Lomberg
  8. Patent sci-fi? by Mika_Lindman · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes, NASA patents sci-fi. Does it also read in NASAs sci-fi EULA that no free (no tax incomes for NASA) products may not use any space related material ?

  9. Military stuff, too? by Sinistar2k · · Score: 4, Funny

    While I don't agree with the logic on this, if it were to happen, could we do the same thing for the military?

    Anybody who buys GI Joe's gets taxed. Anything camo. Man, they could have made a mint back in the 70s/80s off sales of "Better dead than red" shirts alone!

    Don't know what money from Spawn figures would go to. Occult organizations?

  10. Re:First Amendment? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    mmm I could go for a nice fuzzy speach right now, sliced over some vanilla ice cream.