You wouldn’t know it from his pasty, rosacea complexion, but Governor Dave Heineman supports tanning salons.
Dave joined owners and employees from the tanning industry this morning to protest the implementation of the tanning tax in the new health care law (even though the rally speakers kept referring to it still as a bill, it is a law).
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act adds a 10% federal tax to tanning beds not operated by licensed dermatologists. The tax starts today.
The tanning industry isn’t taking it lying down (well, only two times a week in their UV beds, but what would the founding fathers do?).
Disgusted that the Vitamin D-deprived would have to pay an extra dollar or two on their monthly memberships, Heineman vehemently denounced the entire “Obama, Pelosi, Nelson health care bill.” Way to get a jump start on these Senate 2012 campaign ads, governor!
Heineman’s political ambitions are damaging our state. Instead of rallying for the important issues (like say, oh, immigration), the governor is concerned about a paltry tax on cancer beds. He continually kicks the can down the road while he gets footage and sound-bites for his future campaign videos.
What’s interesting was that Heineman wasn’t talking to a very politically enthusiastic constituency. Tanning salon owner and rally speaker Michelle Grubbs didn’t vote in 2008, emcee Heather Almond isn’t a registered voter in Nebraska, and rumor had it that employees were only present because they were being paid or had been threatened with extra cleaning duties.
But these are miniscule road bumps in Heineman’s quest for a senate seat. How important are issues like immigration, prenatal care, and the state budget when the cast of Jersey Shore (attendees’ own description on their rally signs) are facing an extra one or two bucks when they buy their monthly tanning memberships?
