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THEY KNOW IT WHEN THEY SEE IT

August 03, 2005

Back before the internet, before they digitized naughty pictures, a kid in our neighborhood found a bunch of dirty magazines in the woods by the big oak. The news spread quickly, and within a week every adolescent boy in walking distance had ventured to the big oak to see the racy mildewed photos.

Politicians get excited about different things than most folks, but illicit news spreads in their circles like it did in our neighborhood. A couple of years ago some Iowa legislators found a new tax idea in the woods of Capitol Hill. The word was whispered around to other politicians, and now the news has reached Congress itself:

Democrats Propose 25% Internet Porn Tax

Nine Democratic Senators (Thomas Carper (DE), Mark Pryor (AR), Mary Landrieu (LA), Joseph Lieberman (CT), Blanche Lincoln (AR), Ken Salazar (CO), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Evan Bayh (IN) & Kent Conrad (ND)) have proposed a 25% tax on Internet porn.

The sponsors say the bill would raise funds "to help police prosecute online child pornographers."

Great idea. It should be added to a bill imposing a tax on Nigerian e-mail scammers to protect folks who would try to help the heirs of Sanni Abacha claim their rightful inheritance.

Of course, the new tax raises some practical problems, not the least of which is whether there will be an exemption for downloads of naughty pictures to state or county computers.

Do these Senators have what it takes to make it happen?

Clockwise from left: Sponsors of S.1507 Blanche Lincoln, Mary Landrieu, Kent Conrad and Debbie Stabenow.