Sen. DeMint (R-NC) In WP Op-Ed: Congress's Next Giveaway

[ACW]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...090601193.html

The $400 million Travel Promotion Fund, set to be created if the Senate passes the Travel Promotion Act (TPA) this week, is perhaps the perfect illustration of the disconnect between the American people and their representatives in Washington.

The bill would impose a $10 fee on foreign visitors to the United States and use the money to fund an international advertising campaign encouraging the world to travel here (Imagine: "Come to America, so we can tax you at the airport!"). The advertising fund would be controlled by leaders of America's tourism industry -- giant corporations such as Disney, Loews and Marriott. Keep in mind, those companies are not in distress -- they're thriving. Disney, for instance, posted profits of $4.4 billion last year, and bought Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion just last week.

What a terrible idea

[Teller]

So we're going to encourage people to come here by taxing them more?

I love me some liberals.

[ACW]

So we're going to encourage people to come here by taxing them more?

I love me some liberals.

Look at the cosponsors: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquer...1:SN01023:@@@P
Sure, the sponsor is a Dem, but many Repubs also cosponsoring (Bennet, Brownback, Cochran, Vitter just to name a few).

[Larry]

Now, if we were taxing them 10 bucks, and spending the money on tracking foreigners, and making sure they leave . . .

[Teller]

Now, if we were taxing them 10 bucks, and spending the money on tracking foreigners, and making sure they leave . . .

That's why I love me some conservatives, Larry.

Actually, in all seriousness (and it goes both ways) I hate the hypocrisy in politics. You have liberals painting themselves as the champion of the common man and then buying up all of our automakers and then borrowing money from China so we can buy our own cars back. (Whilst just months ago bitching about running up the debt.)

Conservatives do it too. Keep government out of my life, you know, until it might save it...in that case, spy on EVERYBODY! (Especially if they look different.)

It's just frustrating. The only thing we as voters can base our opinions on is what these guys tell us. And it might as well be coming from under a horse's tail as opposed to their mouths most of the time.

[Teller]

Look at the cosponsors: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquer...1:SN01023:@@@P
Sure, the sponsor is a Dem, but many Repubs also cosponsoring (Bennet, Brownback, Cochran, Vitter just to name a few).

Interesting. And here I thought Brownback was too conservative to be electable. (As president.)

[Prosperity]

it's not that bad of an idea... they probably won't even know what the tax is for, but they will see those pretty videos of magic kingdom fireworks and hot air balloons, and buy more tickets.

[Ellis]

This is not an unusual idea at all.

In order to advertise, ya gotta pay for it somehow. a $10 fee per tourist seems very reasonable.

In America--whether in newspapers, radio or on television--other countries advertise visiting their country all the time. Even states of America advertise to come visit.

The wonderful thing about tourism is... when the tourists visit and spend money in the USA, that money stays here once they leave. Sure dropping $500 on stuff on a weeks vacation doesn't seem like much. But when ya got an ill economy, tourism is great for bringing in money to an economy that needs money.

[ACW]

This is not an unusual idea at all.

In order to advertise, ya gotta pay for it somehow. a $10 fee per tourist seems very reasonable.

Have the companies pay for it THEMSELVES

[skinfan13]

Have the companies pay for it THEMSELVES

+ infinity

how would this make any sense to anyone? you really think Disney needs the government to proxy a fee in order to make people pay to be advertised to?

[SparkleMotion]

Have the companies pay for it THEMSELVES

ding ding ding.

Why should hotels and resorts get taxpayer-funded advertising?

DeMint's point about Disney being profitable enough to buy Marvel for $4 billion was a good one.

He also said other countries don't like the idea of us taxing their folks, and have threatened to impose a similar fee on Americans traveling abroad.

Big business gets a subsidy, and average joes have to open up their wallets for another fee. No thanks.