An unserious president talking with unserious liberals on mostly unserious subjects
(Breitbart) Obama hosted a series of interviews with YouTube personalities this afternoon, including one interview with Ingrid Nilsen, a woman who asked why tampons and pads for women were frequently taxed as a “luxury goods†in nearly 40 states.
“I don’t know anyone who has a period that thinks it’s a luxury,†Nilsen said. “It’s something that’s part of our everyday lives and is really crucial to our health as women.â€
Obama chuckled. “I think that’s fair to say – Michelle would agree with you on that,†he said.
Obama said he had “no idea†why states would tax menstrual products.
“I suspect that it’s because men were making the laws when those taxes were passed.†he added.
I suspect it was simply because most goods are sales taxed in most states, but, hey, this is Liberal World, don’t expect rationality. These are people who demand higher taxes on everything, yet, want an exception for their pet causes, such as the “tampon tax”. As the link in the article notes
Tampons, however, are rarely considered a necessity by state governments, and most states do not allow exemptions for them (nor do they even list them in their tax codes). Yet as every woman who has ever gotten her period knows, feminine hygiene products are not a choice; they’re a required part of being a woman. And the costs for these products can add up.
Do you know what else is a necessity? Food. Yet, most states charge a sales tax for the purchase of…..food. So is soap, hair products, and deodorant. And clothing. Shoes.
Guess what else is expensive and require sales tax to purchase: shaving razors. Why should Men have to pay a world ending average sales tax of 5.45% on a product that is not a choice within the working world?
Funny thing is, if feminine hygiene products where excused from being taxed, Liberals would then complain about the reduction in the state coffers from sales tax.
The vast majority of those taxes are imposed by the states and municipalities, not the federal government, so it’s really not the President’s responsibility. However, I’ve lived in states where everything, including food and medicine, were subject to sales taxes, in states where there were exemptions to the sales tax, and in a state where there was no sales tax at all (Delaware.)
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Gee Teach you really ought to get out more from under that right wing bubble
31 states do NOT have a tax on food
7 tax food at the same rate as other items (but 5 offer some sort of rebate)
Usually it is the redder states that have a sakes tax on food.
Sales taxes are considered regressive especially sales tax on food
Well of course shaving is a choice
“In the working world….” Does that mean your phone stores would deny employment to men who wear beards for religious reasons (Jews Sikhs Muslims Amish et al)
Shane on you!!!! That is illegal discrimination.
“Sales taxes are considered regressive…” Which is why most of the socialist countries that liberals love to love have the same sort of tax- the Value added Tax, which taxes about everything you buy. John- how could these liberal wonderlands have such regressive taxes?
And here I thought conservatives opposed taxes! Why not eliminate all sales taxes (except luxury/excise taxes) which would encourage consumer spending? Why not shift so many regressive local taxes from the backs of the working classes?
Oh that’s right – conservatives hate taxes on the wealthy because they’re they only ones who work.
And right there is your problem.
Trying to put the blame on men for these taxes is absurd. I don’t you’d find many men with women in their lives (e.g., wives, girlfriends, daughters)who are trying to punish them for using feminine sanitary products.
More likely it is just an impulse of any statist government … to maximize as much revenue coming in as possible. If they see a mechanism for getting revenue, they’ll pursue it.