Something tells us the cast of “Jersey Shore” just became Republicans.
In his new health-care plan unveiled earlier this week, President Obama proposed a 10 percent tax on tanning — but only the indoor kind, presumably because the government hasn’t yet figured out a way to impose a surcharge on the sun.
But there is good news. According to congressional estimates, the new tariff will raise $2.7 billion over 10 years. And that’s only from George Hamilton.
“It’s just amazing how arbitrary it can be,” complains Robert Alimena, owner of The Tanning Room in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. “This is going to drive business completely the other way.”
“It’s just a bad idea. It encapsulates everything that’s wrong with Washington,” says John Overstreet, executive director of the Indoor Tanning Association, which apparently exists.
But we feel worst for the people who will be hit hardest by the surcharge: our extra-crispy celebrities. How much more cash will come out of their wallets during the course of a year?
Let’s take an educated guess, looking at photos of UV-kissed celebs. Alimena says a “normal” customer visits a salon twice a week and spends between six and 12 minutes under the lights for a pinkish glow. Someone like the definitely not normal Donatella Versace, he estimates, could tan every single day. Using $13 as an average cost per session, that new 10 percent tanning tax could add up quickly.