California Teachers Unions Seek 25% Extra Sales Tax on Sex Shops to Fund Bigger Government

Overpaid Government Worker has an unforgettable Orange County Register article:

Sex shops and strip clubs would have to pay an extra 25 percent tax on their sales and services under a proposed state law meant to offset the costs of allowing such businesses into a community.

But California's $4 billion-a-year adult industry has attacked the proposal by Assemblyman Charles Calderon, D-Montebello, as unconstitutional and based more on opinion than on fact. Adult-business owners in Orange County say the tax would put strippers out of business and break sex shops that already must abide by strict rules about where they can operate.

"I don't know how this business has any kind of bad reputation," said Jerry Tatarian, the manager of the Flamingo Theater, a strip club in Anaheim. "You walk in here on your own free will. We don't show anything outside. We're just a regular business."

"Twenty-five percent?" he added. "What's he trying to do, become a partner?"

On the other side of the debate are teachers unions, which see a new line of revenue for districts hard-hit by budget cuts and layoffs. The sex tax would essentially target luxury items, said Linda Barnett, the president of the Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association.

"If you can afford to buy … whatever … you can afford to pay tax on it," she said. "I would say they're not necessities, though I'm sure some people would disagree with me."

The bill would add the 25 percent tax to any items sold in an "adult entertainment venue." That would be anyplace that gets at least half of its revenue from sexually explicit performances or from the sale of adult videos, magazines or other media.

In other words, you would have to pay a 25 percent tax on anything you bought in a porn store – even a pack of gum.

You'll want to read the whole article.California Teachers unions don't mind being a pimp for a nice retirement that you can't get in the private sector.Is this what Bob Shrum meant by "the people vs.the powerful"? Teachers unions desire to be partners in porn.