Penn and Teller Bullshit: Taxes

This is just a suggestion to watch the new Penn and Teller: Bullshit that came out today (August 6, 2009). It is the 7th episode in episode 7 and the subject taxes. I think most of America (me included) could use a Bullshit free explaination of taxes, because we are being taxed more than ever before. The Republicans have Tea Parties and the Democratics are trying to tax us out of Capitalism, so it will be great to see the side opposing both of them.

Over the years Bullshit has been a show about debunking the myths in society today. They take no prisoners, whether they talk about Chiropracting, Bottled Water, Lie Detectors, or Illegal drugs.

I haven't been able to catch this show yet because I don't have Showtime, but as soon as it is available on Amazon (or I visit a friend who recorded it) I will watch it and maybe write a review on it if I feel like it is a good episode.

If anyone has seen it and would like to comment that would be great, but really this is just a suggestion to tune in if you don't usually watch the show.

Legalize Gambling

Gambling needs to be legalized in California. Right now they are talking about adding slot machines to racing tracks, and I can’t possibly see what would be wrong with that. There is already gambling going on at the race track, and it seems like putting slots in wouldn’t the society any more than a track already is. Plus, race tracks are falling off the map in California with places like Golden Gate being closed in favor of selling houses.

If horse racing wants to survive it needs to be able to add slot machines. But the issue is bigger than that to me, and shows yet another option for California to make money off the sins of its citizens.

I found the exact numbers from the Nevada Gaming board on the money they make per year, but I couldn’t really figure out how much revenue they made, as opposed to the amount that could be taxed. I have the link to those reports at the bottom of this blog.

Nevada is expected to make $620 millionin the first nine months of this year from gambling taxes, which comes to $826 million over the fiscal year if the number stayed the same for all 12 months. Sorry for the lake of the real number, but the link below should help if you are really interested.

With the amount of people in California, and the amount of tourists already coming here, it would seem like the state would make much more than $1 billion per year with Gambling. This would also increase revenue in many other ways (sales tax, more tourism, ect).

It seems like it would be another good solution on how to bring money to the state. Legalizing marijuana would bring about 1.4 billion revenue (and savings in the prison system). Both of these would put California on the cutting edge of the nation becoming sane again. Right now they are the leaders of the insane with the green movement, but I hope that things can turn around.

Link to Gambling revenues: http://gaming.nv.gov/gaming_revenue_rpt.htm