Mr. Reid dropped a proposed tax on cosmetic surgery and replaced it with a tax on indoor tanning services. Senate Democrats said the 10 percent tax was justified because ultraviolet radiation from tanning devices could increase the risk of skin cancer.

The previous paragraph was a recent article about some of the compromises made on the current health care proposal. With the cut in a public option, a stupid hide the money scheme to try and appease anti-abortion activist and other spit and bailing wire adjustments the switch from cosmetic surgery to tanning tax is a smack in the face of the American people.

Use common sense and you know why the tax was switched. A good number of cosmetic surgery is for the vanity of wealthy folks, who pay lots of money to surgeons who have a pretty good lobby. I remember a few weeks ago seeing a sad story on how the proposed tax would hurt patients, of how the cost of cosmetic repair would be a burden to people. The story showed the worst case conditions which, from my understanding, wouldn't have been taxed. Only vanity surgery would have the tax.

There were enough stories I bet the cosmetic surgery lobby did a push on Capitol Hill and forced the switch. Tanning salons, another vanity project, is most run by small business folks in strip malls. While rich people tan, a vast majority are regular folks and both the small business owners and the general public has no advocacy group greasing the wheels of Congress with cash donations.

So in political math it's easier to screw with the silent and unreactive masses than hit the people who can afford it, because they may not give you money for your election.

 

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Government Makes No Sense - January 05, 2010
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