NY Gym Tax?

**SoxFan11** · 02-10-2009, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by partsRheavy

If anything, gym memberships and similar things like sporting goods should be taxed _less_, i.e. incentivized.

I count myself as a Democrat, but I believe that the folks who do things that are healthy should be encouraged.

If they ever do national health care, I'd like to see something like a Fitness Swipe Card. The idea is a lot like a gym membership card where you swipe in to w/o, but it could also be used at car-inaccessible "checkpoints" on walking and bike trails. Participation could be incentivized somehow.

The last thing we need to do is increase taxes on gyms or increase trail access fees. We need to encourage active recreation.

X2. Needless to say my friends who still work for Senate Finance, Assembly Ways and Means and DOB have all gotten a nasty email from me about the gym tax.

In the Guv's defense, he proposed an awful lot of spending cuts to go along with the tax increases. Of course, any politician is going to increase taxes on things that are either unpopular or not widely noticed. And, unlike the federal government, NY can not run a deficit.

The root cause of the problem, though, is New York's unwillingness to save during the fiscal good times. When I was there we were getting very creative with our bonding.

**SoxFan11** · 02-10-2009, 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by Swiper

No need for the name calling. It makes you look childish.

so you think it's good fiscal policy to raise taxes in a recession? LOL.... you can't be serious.

It's not a black or white issue. It would depend on the tax, the price elasticity of demand of the good/service being taxed, tax incidence, etc.

**Bryan Hildebrand** · 02-10-2009, 10:12 PM

we have been in NY for 18 months now. the only word to really describe someone who makes a very nice living in this state is Painful. my wife and I do well and this blind fucker is tax and spending us to death. think its time to start looking for a new state to call home.