Allen West: Tanning Beds Tax Is "Racist."

[PoliticalTiger]

......About 75 people showed up in the development's 1,200-seat clubhouse theater to hear West speak. While West has become a conservative icon nationwide, telling the crowd that he is Congress' No. 1 target of Democrats, several seasonal Century Village residents visiting the clubhouse said they had never heard of him and were unaware he was giving a speech.

And unlike some of West's town hall appearances in the area, there was little opposition voiced by Century Village Democrats.

Lynn Silver, a supporter of President Obama, was the only person to publicly castigate West during his speech, calling him a liar when he criticized the tanning tax – a 10 percent tax imposed on tanning salon customers that was part of the health care bill of 2010. Supporters of the bill said tanning salons are cancer risks.

"You want to talk about something that's really racist? They have a tanning tax," said West, who is African American. "I'm not tanning."

{...}

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/...83381.html


I am trying to figure out what he means? I guess he is trying to say only white people use tanning beds so it's racist to white people? But I am someone who only lives a few miles from some of the finest beaches in Florida, and I have seen many African-Americans lying on the beach under the hot sun getting a tan! The man is nuts!

[KonaKane]

He's an icon, alright. But not for the noble reasons he envisions.

[janedrake]

".....About 75 people showed up in the development's 1,200-seat clubhouse theater to hear West speak. While West has become a conservative icon nationwide, telling the crowd that he is Congress' No. 1 target of Democrats, several seasonal Century Village residents visiting the clubhouse said they had never heard of him and were unaware he was giving a speech."

[Brewman_Jax]

Really? Hey, Allen, there are black people that do use tanning beds to even the tan/remove tan lines/whatever the hell they want to do that requires the use of a tanning bed. To say that certain people cannot use a tanning bed, just because, is racist. You sling the word around to make the idiots that voted for you feel better and empowered and to remind them that they didn't vote for the white guy.

[suzie]

Tanning beds? West is seriously talking about "tanning beds"?

Really?

[Hekate]

Couple of fries short of a Happy Meal.

As for tanning beds, they really are death-rays, especially for the young. The instance of melanoma has risen quite a bit. I'm totally in favor of forbidding teenagers from using them, and taxing them so other people think twice about using them recreationally.

Freckly Irish-American here....

[SeattleGirl]

(04-13-2012 12:19 PM)Hekate Wrote:  Couple of fries short of a Happy Meal.

As for tanning beds, they really are death-rays, especially for the young. The instance of melanoma has risen quite a bit. I'm totally in favor of forbidding teenagers from using them, and taxing them so other people think twice about using them recreationally.

Freckly Irish-American here....

In my younger days, I used to lay out in the sun for hours.

When I got a bit older, I switched to tanning beds.

Now I don't do either. I decided I didn't want melanoma.

[There Is No Spoon]

I don't care if this is PC;

Allen West is a mental case.

[suzie]

We were driving today through Florida and you could see signs for beaches. Made me think again, "Why is a Florida Congressman talking about tanning beds?"

That's sort of unpatriotic for your state--which relies on people wanting to soak up rays at the beach.

[There Is No Spoon]

(04-13-2012 05:07 PM)suzie Wrote:  We were driving today through Florida and you could see signs for beaches. Made me think again, "Why is a Florida Congressman talking about tanning beds?"

That's sort of unpatriotic for your state--which relies on people wanting to soak up rays at the beach.

If we just assume that he's a hyperpartisan ignoramus who runs with any and all "Sarahpalinisms", it makes perfect sense.