Governor Chris Christie’s state of the state address – postponed last week due to the sudden death of Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce – will take place today at 3 p.m. Baristanet will stream it live.
The governor will be touting his accomplishments and addressing important and contentious issues like gay marriage and the minimum wage. But one, dare we say, superficial item on the legislative agenda that has been attracting a bit of attention is Bill S1988, which seeks to eliminate the sales tax on plastic surgery.
The bill, which won unanimous approval by the Assembly last week, would phase out the “Botax” on boob jobs, neck lifts and other types of cosmetic surgery by 2013. Currently, New Jersey is the only state that taxes such procedures.
According to the Office of Legislative Services, the tax nets the state around $10 million a year; but the bill’s supporters – among them The New Jersey Society of Plastic Surgeons – claim that the tax drives patients to have procedures in New York or Pennsylvania, robbing the Garden State (and plastic surgeons) of additional revenue.
The story was even covered yesterday by NPR’s All Things Considered (listen to it here).
What do you think, Baristaville: should Christie sign the bill in an effort to keep those nips and tucks in Jersey? Or should he take out his veto stamp?
There’s a tax on boob jobs? Who knew! I had no idea the state of NJ is funded in part by my own little hooters. And to think I was worried about being selfish and superficial. Now I realize I was doing my part to help the poor and underprivileged, plus now I look great in those tight t shirts I wear to my kids’ school parties for the hot stay at home dads.
There should not be a tax on any medical procedures, it only drives people to other states and makes the cost more expensive. Not all plastic surgery is superficial.
it only drives people to other states and makes the cost more expensive
Somehow I’m not going to take the plastic surgeons’ word for it that the “botax” is driving people to other states. Take Botox: if a procedure costs $500, the NJ tax on it is…$30. Who is going to drive into NYC — where parking alone may be more than that — to avoid the tax?
…this is what passes for a health care debate in NJ…sigh…
Thank goodness jcunningham deigns to stop by to enrich the conversation by telling us our discourse is beneath him. A prince among men, cunningham! As always!
yes, i wish i had the time and inclination to gin up phony concern for every issue like you, ROC…
you’re such a cute curmudgeon—you missed me!
Are penis enlargement procedures subject to sales tax?
Instead of pandering to yet another interest group, the plastic surgeons in this case, perhaps NJ should extend the state income tax to cover the economic value of employer paid health insurance in excess of a certain threshold. First $5,000 of employer paid premiums is tax free, anything over that is ordinary income.
Use that amount to fund childhood immunizations, school medical programs, etc.