Seattle opts to add tax on gun, ammunition sales: Yesterday, the Seattle City Council unanimously voted to “establish a tax on gun and ammunition sales…and to require gun owners to report lost and stolen firearms to police.” Just as we tax cigarettes and alcohol because of their cost to public-health, so too should we tax gun and ammunition sales. As Council President Tim Burgess noted yesterday, “gun violence is a public-health crisis in our city and our nation. City government can and must pursue innovative gun-safety measures that save lives and save money.” Gun owners have, unsurprisingly, moaned about this new legislation. As Daniel Beekman points out , “Some gun owners have said the tax will be passed on to them and have complained that they’ll be paying the price for crimes committed by people who obtain guns illegally.” That’s like a moderate, responsible drinker complaining that they are being unfairly taxed in order to subsidize the actions of irresponsible/unhealthy drinkers. And that’s a ridiculous complaint. Because guess what? This is the burden of living in a civilized country. We have to set legislation based on the actions of our most irresponsible users of…well…anything (drugs, guns, speeding…). Why should I have to drive 60 mph? I’ve never gotten in an accident!  Anyways, I’ve digressed. Congratulations to Tim Burgess and the entire Seattle City Council for passing a commonsense piece of legislation. Lord knows we need some that when it comes to the issue of gun violence. The GOP’s contempt for women: If you lined up Mitt Romney against the rest of the recent GOP field I believe he would stand out for his moderate stances on women’s issues. And why is that scary for GOP strategists? Because in 2012, Romney lost the female vote by a double digit margin. Katrina vanden Heuvel sums it up best : As the party gets smaller and more conservative, GOP leaders’ anti-woman … Continue reading Daily Clips: August 11th, 2015