The Maximalist proposes a new tax!

In the interest of decreasing obesity and improving the longevity of us all I hereby propose a tax on sedentary entertainment. If we can tax sugar and fatty high caloric foods (or propose the taxes) surely their complementary behavior should be considered taxable.

Hmmm. Let's start with the movies. What could be more sedentary than sitting in front of a screen (large and small but especially large) watching a bunch of overpaid people and special effects? I suppose $20.00 per ticket should help offset the cost that society will have to pay for the privelege of paying for the healthcare for these people. No use saying I usually exercise, because this excuse is not being considered for soda and hamburgers. Movie going is the empty calorie of human activity. You do nothing worthwhile when your eyes are glued to the screen. You could be out walking, out working or planting yams in your backyard. PLUS theatres consume a lot of A/C in the summer and electricity in genereral. It's high time we tax this. And think of the money saved and not going to Steven Spielberg (who doesn't need that 120 million dollar yacht, the money can all go to education) or funding the egos of the likes of Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks or Jennifer Aniston.

Next up, television. Harder to do you say as the set can be on entertaining one person or ten. Force all manufacturers to make the wearing of earbuds mandatory, one set per person and exact a fee each time the buds are activated. Voila! lots of money for the federal coffers...which can be spent on the infrastructure.

Fashion magazines, hair salons, nail salons and spectator sports including concerts all come to mind as other sources of sedentary taxes.

But let's not exclude the music industry! Most people do not listen exclusively while running, biking or walking the pooch, so a hefty tax is in order here too.

Yes, Americans will have less entertainment, but perhaps they will make healthier choices like yoga, running, swimming of Kempo karate...ALL healthier than drivel like Pirates of the Carribean part XIV, rap music or Dancing with the Stars.

Is this an intrusion on our freedom of choice? Damn right it is, but so are SO many things these days that it seems only right to tax entertainment...as entertainment is all optional.