Illinois is debating a tax on strip clubs. I’m shocked, just shocked to find that Al Zuccarini, owner of Big Al’s in Peoria (an adult entertainment facility–a strip club) opposes a proposed tax on strip clubs. First, we honor Mr. Zuccarini with the Captain Louis Renault Award:
Seriously, Mr. Zuccarini has a point. The tax (now down to $3 per customer from the originally proposed $5) is supposed to fund rape crisis centers in Illinois. Mr. Zuccarini told the Peoria Journal-Star,
“My counterparts (other club owners) might think the reduction is a win,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a win. If it’s $25,000 one year, what’s it going to be next year when money is short – $40,000? Where does it stop?”
That is a good point. Excessive taxing of small businesses is a huge hindrance to job growth. Perhaps Illinois should study the example of what’s happened in California. Then again, maybe that’s exactly what Illinois is doing.
[…] Back in May I posted about Illinois’ proposed strip club tax. We can now remove ‘proposed’ as the tax was signed into law; the tax goes into effect on January 1st. […]