Mike South writes on www.mikesouth.com – A new porn tax was just introduced by Assemblywoman Mary Salas [pictured] of Chula Vista. Her bill, AB 847, copies much of last year’s AB 2914 (Calderon) and exclusively targets the adult entertainment industry by trying to tax 20% of its gross receipts.
Mary Salas is a member of the Assembly Health Committee, which FSC said they met with during their March lobby day in Sacramento. In their typical self-aggrandizing manner, FSC even went so far as to claim they met with every member of the committee personally, and each member agreed with FSC that the idea of a porn tax was both stupid and not going to go anywhere. And yet here we are with AB 847.
Members of the Assembly Health Committee are also considering mandatory condom legislation due to the recent outbreak of HIV infections amongst performers.
On March 23rd, I provided the names and telephone numbers of some of the important lawmakers that FSC said the[y] met with, but who reported that FSC either did not meet with anyone in that office at all, or that no such statements were made to FSC about the viability of any porn tax.
It is now clear that FSC flagrantly misled the industry with their false reports and has spent the last several months assuring people that no porn tax would happen this year based upon pure lies.
The industry now faces a very serious threat of 20% tax as California grapples with trying to close a $21 billion budget deficit.
Labor unions, who wield great influence in the Capitol, are expected to support AB 847 because their members are the state employees that are going to face lay offs because of the budget. Law enforcement, which is also facing severe budget cuts, is expected to support AB 847.
If ever a sin tax were going to pass, then this would be the year.
Oh, and here is another juicy tidbit, on FSC lobby days their new lobbyist Ignacio didn’t even have a copy of the current legislation in the packets to be handed out to lawmakers. He only had a copy of an outdated fact sheet on previous legislation from a different year… but FSC didn’t mention any of that while they were busy patting themselves on the back for doing such a great job of not actually meeting with the right lawmakers.