The Sierra Club proposes video game and TV tax

The Sierra Club -- a group dedicated to environmentalism and preservation -- has proposed that a tax be levied against kids who choose video games or computers rather than venturing out-of-doors. The tax, also being referred to as "No Child Left Inside," would ostensibly encourage kids to get up off of their fat, lazy back-ends and hit the trails, mountains, and waterways of our nation's parks and other natural treasures... by further taxing video games and TVs. Recent studies have shown links to obesity, lowered academic scores, and the rise of attention-deficit disorder in America's kids to increased time spent indoors, though we suspect the problem lies with bad parenting rather than an entire industry of game-makers and electronics companies. Would adding a one-percent sales tax on our gear (and penalizing children who have plenty of good reasons to stay inside) increase kids' desire to head outdoors instead of "finishing the fight?" We've got our doubts.

[Thanks, wasp2151]

Read - A Tax to Remember
Read - Sierra Club proposes 'couch potato' tax

[c.Lake @ Jan 24th 2008 4:47PM]

Who's unbelievably stupid idea was this? So, now video games are the reason that children are fat, as well as violent? Brilliant. See, because there were NEVER any fat kids, before TV was invented, so that must be the problem. Who says nutrition and genetics play any part in this matter either?

[Craig @ Feb 1st 2008 4:39PM]

The "No Child Left Inside" tax is ridiculous. Subjecting children who are more cerebral than athletic to the outside by taxing fun and educational activities like television and video games is not only cruel, but inhumane. Get your money some other way.

[Scott @ Feb 29th 2008 5:45PM]

Geez, it's a 1% tax. One friggin percent. If the store had raised the price by 1%, I doubt one person on here would have even blinked, let alone complain. I play my share of games, and I'm also more than happy to pay two quarters and a dime to help some kids get outside more. More outdoor activity = healthier kids = more productive and vibrant economy = better market for gamers = more fun in life.

Christ, have we become a nation of (mostly fat) crybabies or what?!!!

[rcappo @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:09AM]

Maybe if parents did (free) stuff with their kids outside instead of working all the time to buy them the latest video games and material things, it would help.

[Nubaeus @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:08AM]

...haven't the smartest people known to man been known to stay inside not admiring the worthless bits of nature?

[JC @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:20AM]

Yeah, but that's 0.000001% of the population. The rest of them end up locking themselves up in their parents' basements and playing WoW until they die.

[tbound @ Jan 23rd 2008 1:30AM]

But don't let them go outside on a dirt bike or even a mountain bike, God forbid. The Sierra Club can't have these evil humans fouling their planet.

[Bevon Findley @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:09AM]

aww the good ole days, when we played dodgeball, hide and go seek and others.

[catfish @ Jan 22nd 2008 5:52PM]

ah for the good old days when dodgeball was still legal.

People keep taking away all the fun parts of childhood and playing outside and wonder why they keep turning to video games.

[Viney @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:38PM]

This... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,55836,00.html ... is what is happening to the good ol days.

My personal favorite was kick the can. Little did I know at the time I was damaging the self-esteem of all one-legged children wishing to partake. Shame on me.

[Reginald @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:50PM]

Yea, as kids we also played "Chinese Freeze Tag." But due to the politically correct movements of late, it's now just called "Freeze Tag" (I guess "Asian-American Freeze Tag" was too long).

[whatishalo? @ Jan 22nd 2008 3:57PM]

Don't forget Smear the Queer, or in today's PC terminology: Tackle the Alternative Lifestyle Individual.

[tekdemon @ Jan 23rd 2008 2:57AM]

I don't think Freeze Tag changed it's name due to any PC reason. When I was growing up it was already called Freeze Tag, and the same people would also use racial slurs against Chinese people, lol.

Plus I seriously doubt 3rd graders are up on all the PC rules.

[CB @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:17AM]

This is a joke right?
Millions of kids descend on the country, Sierra club pushes for tax to prevent erosion , suggests kids visit the country 'virtually' maybe in some type of video game.

[Andrew @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:09AM]

Would the tax be spent on preserving our nations wildlife and ecosystems, or would it be spent on unprovoked wars of aggression?

[TrentD @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:10AM]

What a stupid idea.

Although I don't know what else I should have expected when I saw "Sierra Club".

[John B @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:11AM]

Typical. People aren't doing what others want, so what better way to force complicity than by putting a tax on the "bad behavior". They'll probably find some senator who will jump on this by looking at it as more tax revenue while hiding behind the whole, clichéd "protecting the children" moniker.

Hey, Sierra Club! STFU and leave the parenting up to the parents!

[Kris @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:15AM]

That's gotten us somewhere :) Seriously though... While I'm not for a taxes on bad behavior in most cases, it is rather frustrating to see how idiot parents raise their kids these days. I always said that the most capable (monetarily, mentally) potential parents will end up having less/no children... Then I saw Idiocracy and that sealed it.

[John B @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:48AM]

That's fine, but such a (stupid) tax punishes both the bad AND GOOD parents. My daughter and I are gamers, yet neither of us are obese and we (as a family) try to get out of the house as often as we can when the weather permits.

And there's another issue! Would this tax only be viable during the summer months? Would this tax be suspended during the colder months when there is no incentive to go outside in the bitter cold? Great, so now we have to be taxed because it's freakin' COLD outside! What about when it's raining! Is the tax suspended when a summer storm is predicted and no one should be outside?

[packetsniffer @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:07AM]

Absolutely correct. This goes along the same vein as taxing cigarettes: "We've just *got* to stop this bad behavior! It's for the *children*!"

@John B
"such a (stupid) tax punishes both the bad AND GOOD parents."
Excellent point!

[Grant @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:20PM]

The solution for bad parenting is not taxing items that bring people entertainment.

I propose mandatory abortions to parents that fail a "fit for parenting" test. If they fail it too terribly, they are probably not fit to be contributing members of society either, and that will result in mandatory execution.

Just the fear of either of those tests would deter trailer trash from popping out kids and leaving them where they fall, completely devoid of parental intervention.

[Seoultrain @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:40PM]

Great points, John. Taxes are just loud, public bandaids for politicians, and never solve problems like this. The responsibility is with the parents. Even a 20% tax won't stop a bad parent from buying their spoiled kid a video game just to get them to shut the hell up.

[insertAlias @ Jan 22nd 2008 2:10PM]

@Grant
Thats quite possibly one of the most fucked up things I have ever read here. O_o

[Brad @ Jan 22nd 2008 7:36PM]

@Grant

I have the distinct feeling you would fall into the "mandatory execution" category. You clearly lack the social awareness, compassion, or intellectual skills required to function in society.

For more on why you are a particularly fucked up (and socially unfit) individual, please read up on Eugenics. Here, I'll get you started:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics

[Scott @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:57PM]

Perhaps they should propose a tax on toilet paper instead. That way they could save a few trees instead of messing with our games.

[Flava Flav @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:12AM]

I have no opposition to kids going outdoors. On the other hand, I have a problem with some bourgeois prima donna club, The Sierra Club, that tries to solve societies problems. They need to go back to doing what they were doing and leave society alone.

[Cornelius @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:37AM]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that they're really overstepping their original purpose. It's similar to MADD's [neo-prohibitionist] focus more on pushing legislation against underage drinking rather than drunk driving, but I digress.

Besides, I don't see this tax helping any, considering that kids usually aren't the ones buying their games and TVs and this tax won't really deter them anyway.

This is nothing more than another excuse to raise taxes on the working class disguised as "Feel Good" legislation.

[silverblackvoid @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:06AM]

apparently they weren't doin anything

[dataminer49er @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:16AM]

Yes I aggree. Have the kids go outdoors and go fishing then PETA can get mad at the lil tykes.

[Zeek @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:16AM]

Somebody send them a Wii Fit.

[Streakist @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:18AM]

1 word.

UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

[Davis4ever @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:20AM]

I know. Let's tax kids so we can continue to sell $10 booze and cigarettes.

[h.solo @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:56AM]

Uh, thats already taxed to the gills there women's temperance league president. Thats worked real well. Another example of the failure to legislate morality.

[Davis4ever @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:08PM]

mmm hmmm... $10 for a 40 in the USA , around $40 in Canada. Let's do some math!

[hh @ Jan 22nd 2008 1:26PM]

$10 for a 40?? somebodys getting screwed.
40's run ~ $2-$4 next door in atlanta.
im assuming a "40" refers to a 40oz. bottle of b33r.
even in san diego it certainly wasnt $10.

[ef92 @ Jan 22nd 2008 1:53PM]

The point is that the cost of alcohol in America is still low in comparison to Canada. I can agree with this statement. I'm not saying more expensive alcohol in the US would help things necessarily though - it might even just encourage some people to choose other drugs, maybe ones less legal.

Still, you must have your terminology mixed up; a 40 would never be 10 bucks.

[samk @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:22AM]

My kids don't pay taxes.

I'll remember to subtract the amount of my new taxes from the contributions I make to eco friendly charities in the future.

[Reader @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:51AM]

Exactly, what went through their minds when they thought this up? The same parents that give their kids $600 PS3s and don't care how long they play are going to pay the extra 60 dollar tax on the PS3.

Not sure where they got the idea that taxes affect 8 year olds.

[Fred @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:46AM]

1% of $600 is $6, not $60. Hardly enough to matter in the slightest, and the effect of increasing the cost of a $50 game to $50.50 is laughable. The same parents who can't find the "off" button on the TV are going to refuse to buy Super Mario Galaxy for their kid because the price increased by less than fifty cents? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life. My kids have a Wii and computers and TV, but they also play outside because I turn the electronics off and tell em to get their butts in the backyard.

[sjdurfey @ Jan 22nd 2008 2:30PM]

my first thought exactly. this club is just piggybacking on the new blame-video-games-for-everything band wagon, and are just looking to extort to industry.

[Reader @ Jan 22nd 2008 6:24PM]

I didn't even notice there was a set amount, just went for a high 10% in assumption they were actually trying to make a price difference.

[Chip @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:24AM]

Anyone else sick of the government taxing what they don't want us to do?
Whether they spend the proceeds for war or tree planting is irrelevant. Check out the Constitution and find out the reasons for taxation.
Could you imagine a Sierra Club member transported through time to Independence Hall and proposing we tax people who stay indoors?

[BigD @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:25AM]

That's a great picture from South Korea. That's such a common sight...even in cold weather. Perfect choice to fire back at the Sierra Club, too.

[Alan Friesen @ Jan 22nd 2008 3:02PM]

Ah, for the good ol' days of a 100 won video game and a bottle of Chilsung Cider...

[John P @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:32AM]

A tax isn't going to help too much, because the price of video games has probably already weeded out those who cannot afford it. I think it is a parent's choice, but I do agree kids should probably learn about that little thing called exercise. Sports and outdoors are great. But the tax won't be helping that. Also, it takes alot of time committment to get to national parks. No one really lives right next door. And parents do have work. So the trade off here is very unequal.

[Steve G @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:36AM]

I love the outdoors and I want the parks and trails to stay nice and empty for my exclusive enjoyment!

[Bobs @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:38AM]

Im just about to get out of highschool, get my liscence, part time job, and continue school. who gives a crap what i do with my free time as long as it isnt... TERRORISM!!. i seriously doubt the gaming industry will let this pass, as it could damage the industry with loss of sales due to raised prices and lower sales, not to mention the fact that there is no tax on pirated software. just keep making commercials about the v chip and stuff like that telling the parents that only the parents are responsible for how the kid grows up.

[Bobs @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:40AM]

ohh, i love going camping on a week day, its like i got the whole park and river all to my self. protip, lake sabrina on tuesday, very few people out on the lake, catch all the fish you can.

[Bobs @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:41AM]

engadget, your reply system is busted.
this was supposed to be a reply to steve g

[Naman @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:45AM]

Idiots. Just to retaliate for such a stupid suggestion, I think I'll stop recycling for a week and use styrofoam cups in the office. Oh wait, I already do all that!