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Old 03-03-2012, 12:44 PM   #1
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There should be a 20% tax on pbooks

If governments in the developed world are serious about environmental conservation, they should seriously consider a 20% tax on new paper books and paper newspapers in order to benefit the adoption of ereaders and ebooks. Ebooks take a lower toll on the environment.

This would get publishers to start pushing ebooks more than hardcovers, which are a COMPLETE WASTE of paper, energy, and space.

The tax funds would go to libraries to purchase ebooks.

Also, we'd make ebooks transferable like pbooks so anyone could lend and resell them without onerous restrictions.

Last edited by markbot; 03-04-2012 at 05:12 PM.
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Old 03-03-2012, 12:47 PM   #2
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Government is already too involved in everyday life. People should be allowed to make their own choice concerning how they read. The last thing we need is another silly tax.
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Old 03-03-2012, 12:53 PM   #3
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Or they could just grow hemp.
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Old 03-03-2012, 01:36 PM   #4
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Government is already too involved in everyday life. People should be allowed to make their own choice concerning how they read. The last thing we need is another silly tax.
I generally agree with that stance; however, the full cost of pbooks like negative externalities of environmental degradation isn't priced into the books...thus demand may be too high. There is a useful alternative that has far fewer costs and also some side benefits....ebooks.

I also support the high taxes on cigarettes which funds healthcare in some states. You can think of this pbook tax as a vice tax.
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Old 03-03-2012, 02:09 PM   #5
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Great idea then we can lose all the tree plantations that are grown SPECIFICALLY to produce paper as we won't need them... one good move... then we won't have the carbon getting locked up in paper and the NEW trees planted to replace every one harvested... second good move... and we can concentrate on producing millions more eReaders at taxpayers expense for those who can't afford to buy them thus adding to pollution from the electronics production and rare metals extraction... third good move... yea, go green loonies again then maybe you can concentrate on something that both matters and DOES improve things instead of knee-jerk rubbish...

Maybe the rest of us are also getting a bit sick of unwanted governmental interference and taxing of our lives for things that are none of their business... oh, whoops, look there goes another pseudo-liberal transnational who knows what is best for the world and everyone in it because they all know better than the rest of us poor benighted and obviously uncaring people...

Last edited by elcreative; 03-03-2012 at 02:14 PM.
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Old 03-03-2012, 02:17 PM   #6
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Paperbooks aren't a vice. Not everybody can afford or likes e-readers. Paperbooks definitely need to be priced higher than e-books, but the way to achieve this is not by slapping a silly tax on paperbooks, but by pricing e-books lower, like they should be.
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Old 03-03-2012, 02:19 PM   #7
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I also support the high taxes on cigarettes which funds healthcare in some states. You can think of this pbook tax as a vice tax.
Yes, because the government saves the money of specific taxes for their intended purposes so well. For example I give you: Social Security trust fund, Federal gas tax, and cigarette taxes. Sorry, but I don't trust the government to use taxes in the manner they say they will.
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Old 03-03-2012, 02:22 PM   #8
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I generally agree with that stance; however, the full cost of pbooks like negative externalities of environmental degradation isn't priced into the books...thus demand may be too high. There is a useful alternative that has far fewer costs and also some side benefits....ebooks.

I also support the high taxes on cigarettes which funds healthcare in some states. You can think of this pbook tax as a vice tax.
And why should vice always be a tax target... what about a do-gooder tax on misinformed idiots attacking the wrong or irrelevant targets??
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Old 03-03-2012, 02:37 PM   #9
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If governments in the developed world are serious about environmental conservation, they should seriously consider a 20% tax on new paper books in order to benefit the adoption of ebooks.
What makes you think governments care about environmental conservation? What makes you think ebooks are more environmentally friendly than real books, come to that. Remove profit from paper production and all that land currently growing trees will be turned over to property development or industry. Print on demand at the point of sale in a local shop would be the way forward if you wanted to cut down on waste.
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Old 03-03-2012, 02:48 PM   #10
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Old 03-03-2012, 02:54 PM   #11
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No. There should just be a tax on taxes. That way they can get their money while they get their money.
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Old 03-03-2012, 02:57 PM   #12
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I disagree. The government shouldn't penalize readers who prefer pbooks over ebooks by making them pay more. There may be an alternative to pbooks, but that doesn't mean everyone on earth likes curling up with an electronic device over a good book. The scent of pbooks are amazing in my opinion, and some people don't want to give that up.

I don't think I would have if it weren't for school getting in the way of reading for myself. And carrying another book on top of my textbooks were too much.. so I got a tablet ereader (Vox) for more than the reading but others, but have been using it to read in travel. But.. I haven't given up on pbooks, mostly, even though I've rebought quite a few I already have in ebook.. I've also bought my favorite I have in ebook in pbook as well..

People shouldn't be forced to choose one or another. Relatively they're already paying more for the pbooks than the ebooks (I'm speaking on average, I know the costs are going up), they shouldn't have to pay more for what they prefer to read.
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Old 03-03-2012, 03:09 PM   #13
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Old 03-03-2012, 03:27 PM   #14
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If governments in the developed world are serious about environmental conservation, they should seriously consider a 20% tax on new paper books in order to benefit the adoption of ebooks. Ebooks take a lower toll on the environment.

This would get publishers to start pushing ebooks more than hardcovers, which are a COMPLETE WASTE of paper, energy, and space.

The tax funds would go to libraries to purchase ebooks.
Starting at the end, the tax funds would go into the great tax fund pie, none of which would reach the library. Libraries are generally funded from local property taxes.

Publishers do not really care about the taxes that are added onto their books at the cash register. Of course it would be advantageous for many publishers to rid the world of pbooks under their current TOS. No used books or second hand sales.(Do I smell book burning and the desire for pubishers to control the world here)

Conservation has already been addressed in part, but if this is a valid arguement, you should address newspapers, junk mail, and the "free" publications that are pushed on you as you enter/leave transit stops and are in boxes all over the city where I live. More paper being expended there daily than all the pbooks being sold weekly IMO.

Responsible governments have traditionally supported old technology such as AM radio, non digital TV signals etc. Why would they set out to destroy a way of reading that has gone on for several centuries.

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Old 03-03-2012, 03:31 PM   #15
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Or they could just grow hemp.
I actually agree with this. Hemp-based paper is sturdier (the original Gutenberg bible was printed on it), there's less environmental cost to growing and processing it than for wood and cotton, and you can use vertical space by growing it in high-rise closets or whatever, leaving arable farmland free for food crops.

Incidentally, I personally think that books and basic forms of soap* shouldn't be taxed unless you want to end up with an illiterate and unhygienic population.

* Both of these are taxed in Canada, and there's some talk of also applying the same tax to even more categories of groceries, so perhaps we can add "half-starved" to the list.
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