We're Responsible for Vanity Tax

I am certain that you are now well- aware of this new tax proposed by some "brilliant" politicians of the Philippine government called Vanity Tax. A lot of Bloggers have already expressed their dismay and I'm sure you've read them all so I'll keep this short and sweet.

Just a recap: Representative Rodel Batocabe of Ako Bicol Partylist suggested to impose 10- 30% Vanity Tax on personal care items, cosmetics, and even cosmetology procedures instead of additional Fuel Tax to help the government gather more funds for its projects. His reason behind this drunk (sorry, had to say it) proposal is:

Ang lipstick, P300, dagdagan mo ng P30. Siguro naman ang isang taong naglilipstick ay di naman magiging pabigat ang P30 sa kaniya, para sa isang lipstick...Kung talagang mabigat na, wag ka na mag-makeup, mabubuhay ka naman. On the other hand, pag tinaas mo ang gasolina, tataas ang bilihin, tataas ang presyo ng transportasyon, tataas po ang ating pagkain dahil 'yan konektado sa lahat.

Aside from being unfounded, this reasoning is wrong on so many levels. Bloggers have already enumerated why: this law is economically unsound because it's going to impact sales and thus, a lot of jobs in the beauty industry, it's discriminatory because women will be the major bearer of this tax as makeup is not only vanity, but a requirement for jobs, it's ridiculous because it proposes to tax even medical surgeries, it's silly because it will count corrective cosmetology procedures as vanity, it's going to milk money out of an unstable industry, and it's going to widen underground industries, which are already hard to regulate as it is.

But why do we keep on getting dumb law proposals like this?

I hate to break it, but we all have a hand on this.

This is what we get for voting people who are not supposed to be in the government. This is what we get for voting based on personality rather than achievements. This is what we get for voting based on feeling and not based on critical thinking. This is what we get for voting based on popularity than background.

I read a beautiful line: a government is but a reflection of its people.

Vanity Tax is maddening, but I am not surprised that our legislators can propose something this silly.

If we don't want ridiculous laws like this one, then let's be more critical of political candidates next time.