# TX strip club "pole tax"; NY's propsed "crack pot" tax **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 17, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-strip-club-pole-tax-nys-propsed-crack-pot-tax/438025 "2008-02-17T22:43:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-strip-club-pole-tax-nys-propsed-crack-pot-tax/438025/1 "2008-02-17T22:43:18Z")
Came across this interest ing [Washington Post story](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/16/AR2008021602198.html?nav=rss_politics) about so called “sin taxes”. At least 21 states have similar laws on the books, but many aren’t being enforced. NY is proposing a tax of $3.50 per gram on pot, and $200 per gram on cocaine, hence the "crack pot moniker. You can buy stamps, anonymously of course. I was thinking there is one big reason they go this route, rather than simply levying big fines if you’re found guilty of posession. Presumably they could garnish your wages and collect the tax even if you aren’t found guily of a crime. The story doesn’t address this question, though it does say the law is aimed at drug dealers. How dealers would be distinguished from users is another question not addressed. BTW, NY also taxes lap dances at strip clubs, but only if they are performed in “VIP lounges”. So apparently the working stiffs 😛 get lap dances free from government madated sodomy. ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-strip-club-pole-tax-nys-propsed-crack-pot-tax/438025/2 "2008-02-17T22:52:55Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] So apparently the working stiffs 😛 get lap dances free from government madated sodomy. [/QUOTE] It’s _mandatory_ now? I usually only feel sodomized by the state at tax time. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-strip-club-pole-tax-nys-propsed-crack-pot-tax/438025/4 "2008-02-17T23:58:54Z")
[Marijuana tax stamp laws and penalties](http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6670) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-strip-club-pole-tax-nys-propsed-crack-pot-tax/438025/5 "2008-02-18T01:07:54Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] [Marijuana tax stamp laws and penalties](http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6670) [/QUOTE] Can we find a similar list for lap dance taxes? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-strip-club-pole-tax-nys-propsed-crack-pot-tax/438025/6 "2008-02-18T10:46:52Z")
[QUOTE=TobyA.] I find this hilarious. Big Brother wants his cut, and his enforcers might carry pens instead of baseball bats, but they will fuck you up. [/QUOTE] Is it: “The pen is mightier than the sword.” or “The penis, mightier than the sword.” I always get confused. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-strip-club-pole-tax-nys-propsed-crack-pot-tax/438025/7 "2008-02-18T11:00:21Z")
That’s how they finally got Capone, tax evasion. Not paying fed. taxes on the booze he sold. Even then, w/ all the resources expended and the hoopla, he only served about 4 years in prison. I think the feds. are stuck on stupid, declaring certain things to be contraband and then spending tons of money trying to enforce it. Didn’t work w/ alcohol and it ain’t gonna’ work w/ drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-strip-club-pole-tax-nys-propsed-crack-pot-tax/438025/8 "2008-02-18T12:14:18Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane] That’s how they finally got Capone, tax evasion. Not paying fed. taxes on the booze he sold. Even then, w/ all the resources expended and the hoopla, he only served about 4 years in prison. I think the feds. are stuck on stupid, declaring certain things to be contraband and then spending tons of money trying to enforce it. Didn’t work w/ alcohol and it ain’t gonna’ work w/ drugs. [/QUOTE] No, Capone was different. It wasn’t about paying taxes on the booze he sold, it was about paying taxes on the income he earned from it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-strip-club-pole-tax-nys-propsed-crack-pot-tax/438025/9 "2008-02-18T16:27:06Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s mandatory now? I usually only feel sodomized by the state at tax time. You should hold out until at least your third man date before there’s any sodomy. You don’t want to look easy.