Tea Party Smarties

Well this is a little weird. Turns out tea party backers are wealthier and more educated than average. Maybe the smart ones make the not so smart ones do the physical demonstrating for them? Guess that seems clever.

No more Botax, but Tan Tax

So much for botax. I really liked the idea but I guess more people use tanning beds than Botox, and the cosmetic surgery industry has more lobbying power than the tanning industry, so we've got the tan tax now.

Of course now the tanning salons are up in arms about the 10% tax effective in July, which is to raise $2.7 billion over the next decade (compare to Botax which was 5% to raise $6 billion).

But unlike arguing that clients are average wage-earning Janes as the botox group did and that the measure would be sexist (86% of Botox takers are women), people are saying it's racist(against pale-skinned types), unfair (tax the travel industry too?), and targets mom-and-pop stores more (I'll give them that).

But ridiculously, some are saying that tanning is not all that bad for you (from the Indoor Tanning Association) and the tax interferes with what some people ocnsider a way to keep them healthy with Vitamin D.

First of all, 10% on a tanning session is $1 to $2. I don't know if that's much obstruction. Second, scientists have consistenly been calling out the dangers of tanning beds-that they're as poisonous as arsenic, they're so dangerous that there should be a minimum age of 18 requirement, and oh right they cause cancer to a scary high degree. So actually this tax is better than Botox. Making yourself look better doesn't add to the healthcare system burden, but giving yourself cancer does. Not to mention the number one reason why you get wrinkles is because of UV rays, not aging.

All this really shows it like climatologists, tannings salons need some better PR skills too.

Anti-Health Bill Folk

Yikes. Some ammo for Democrats: tea party folk protesting the "socialist" bill with interesting literary skills.

H1N1 fallout

This is why we need an improved health communication system, besides the sad display of unnecessary paranoia last year concerning H1N1. Whatever our new healthcare system is, this communication problem has to be addressed.

So at some point even after H1N1 vaccine paranoia instigators panicked everyone out of getting vaccinated, everyone clamored to get vaccinated first, got scared there wasn't enough to go around, and now there's too much of it, with the Dutch government trying to sell vaccines back to manufacturers GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis. And why the Dutch ministry ordered 34 million doses-enough to give two shots to every person in the Netherlands-is beyond me.

Obama takes on obesity

Obesity has been quite the ubiquitous, serious issue talked about for some time. And our government's realized that posting calories and banning trans fats (in NYC at least) might not be enough to keep us Americans from eating ourselves to death.

So here is a more unique government program created in some time: LetsMove is the new initiative, to be led by Michelle Obama, to promote healthy diets for children.

The program is a partnership between the US Departments of Treasury, Agriculture and Health, and Human Services, which will put in $400 million a year to make sure children eat the right kinds and right amount of food with more well-placed grocery stores and placement of healthy foods. How? Through "innovative financing" and grants.

Maybe they should just get rid of agricultural subsidies and save us $12 billion annually on higher food prices from backwards Great Depression-era protectionism.

Healthcare Bill & Botax

So the Democrats unveiled their healthcare bill today. It all looks great -the Congressional Budget Office calculates that the legislation, which will expand coverage to 31 million more Americans by 2019, also will reduce $138 billion in deficits over the same period.

One interesting provision though, hasn't escaped critics, even though it was buried somewhere in the bill's 2,074 pages: there's a 5% federal tax for cosmetic procedures (not including surgeries to correct deformities or injuries). Estimated to raise $6 billion the next decade after it begins in January, the tax along with cuts to the federal Medicare system would help Reid’s $848 billion healthcare bill meet two benchmarks set by President Obama—keep the ten-year cost under $900 billion and ensure it doesn’t exacerbate federal budget deficits.

This kind of tax isn't new. New Jersey did it in 2004 but after it only raised $7.5 billion of the estimated $24 billion, they repealed it, then Gov. Corzine vetoed the repeal, and it still only raised $11 million in 2007.


So plastic surgery supporters have been up in arms about this, with several complaints:

1. It's sexist: 86% of patients are female

2. It really doesn't target the rich: According to the American Society for Plastic Surgeons, 30 percent of patients have an annual income of $30,000 or less and 41 percent make between $30,000 and $60,000. Only 13 percent earn at least $90,000.

3. People who get plastic surgeries also don't burden the healthcare system, contribute to ballooning costs of Medicare nor are these procedures covered by insurance. It's far from being a sin tax at all.

Reid’s tax proposal nonetheless put pressure on an industry already concerned about the economic downturn. According to ASAPS, cosmetic procedures plunged 12 percent last year to 10.2 million, compared to a two percent growth the year before.

On Thursday after the proposal was announced, shares of Botox and breast-implant maker Allergan Inc. (AGN) declined 2.3 percent to $58.56 and shares of competitor Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. (MRX) fell 2% to $23.46.