Boston's "Fun Tax" or Another Good Reason To Buy More DVDs (1 Viewer)

[Eujin]

I live in Boston and it was reported on the news yesterday that the city's mayor is trying to get several new taxes passed that will generate more revenue. Among his big ideas are taxes on tickets--concerts, sports and yes, movie tickets. People are calling this the "Fun Tax" and they're probably right. I've been really ambivalent about going out to the movies ever since I got my front projection set-up going. And with these new taxes being bandied about, I think I'm just going to stay home and watch movies there--with the exception of special events like LOTR:TTT, of course. Any other Boston-area HTFers out there feel the same way?

 

[Jeff Bamberger]

Having a five year old daughter combined with the cost of babysitters these days, we often don't get to the movies. Even many of the big event movies have had my first viewing at home on my system. This has included, Episode 1 and 2, Spidey, FOTR, etc.

It costs way too much to actually go to a movie. Firgure app. $20 for tickets, app. $10 for snacks, app $20-$30 for a sitter, etc....it adds up quickly....cheaper to make your own popcorn and throw on your $14.99 DVD and be able to pause it when you need to use the restroom....

 

[Steven K]

Sounds like something Menino would conjur up (bumbling idiot).

Last movie my wife and I went to see, here's the price breakdown (at Lowe's Theater, Boston Common)

$4- T tokens
$20- 2 tickets
$20- 2 drinks, popcorn, candy

$44 just to see a movie. Normally we smuggle our snacks into the theater, but we didn't have time to stop at CVS on the way there.

 

[David_N]

Another brilliant idea from "Mumbles".

 

[KrisM]

This sounds like something a Canadian mayor would do!
The last time I went to the movies it cost about $45CDN for the tickets and snacks for two. And this did not include any wine, beer or steaks, three things that are quite available in my theater. When the day comes that I can afford a big-screen I don't think I'll ever go to the movies.
Regards
KrisM

 

[Jason Ly]

It's a shame that Cambridge has crappy theaters, looks like I will be driveing out to Framingham to go see flicks in the future.

 

[Steven K]

I don't understand how people in Boston who have children can afford to hire a babysitter.

My wife babysits on the side, and I always thought it was a little strange. I'm used to babysitters making around $3-4 an hour. Then one day I asked her how much she makes, and she told me "between $10 and $15 an hour." My jaw just about hit the floor.

 

[Eujin]

Yeah, my wife will occassionally babysit on the side as well--we use the money to pay for movies (when we get motivated enough to fight crowds, put up with idiots in the audience or feel a bit too stir crazy in our apartment).

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Here in Seattle we have a city tax on movies, around $0.30 I believe. Ticket prices are always in round numbers, $9 for the Cinerama, $7.50 for most others, but whenever I have a free pass of some kind I'm always asked to pay 30 cents.

 

[Adam_WM]

I'm in western Mass. I heard about this on the news. If this goes through, it will be a state tax. Ridiculous, I say.

 

[Will_B]

Puritans will be puritans. But it isn't fair. Theaters are usually located on primo real estate in the heart of downtowns, so they are already paying lots of taxes. And they pay for an entertainment license, and in Massachusetts they pay for the right to operate on the sacred day of Sunday (remnant of Puritanical "blue laws" that prohibit having fun on Church days). And they have to pay their annual donation to the fire department's charity or be harassed constantly. They need to pay their annual donation to the police's charity or they'll find themselves required to hire traffic details (manned by cops) outside their parking lots. All of this local expense, coming after the distributors take up to, what is it up to now, 90% of the income for a first run film? It's a crime the way Boston treats its entertainment facilities. Clubs have it no better. They are constantly being shut down for dubious reasons, and of course Boston provides no public transportation after 1am on weekends, an early hour for a city that likes to pretend it is cosmopolitan -- entertainment centers are essentially paying taxes for very little in return.

In the past it used to be that if a film stuck around a long time the percentage left to the theater owner would slowly rise - second run theaters (if any of those are still around) can sometimes get to keep up to 65% of the ticket price), and the theaters would have a little bit of income, but today films don't stick around.

 

[Steven K]

and of course Boston provides no public transportation after 1am on weekends

Well, actually this has changed. The MBTA now runs the "Night Owl" service, which runs till 3 AM (or it might be 4 AM). Basically, it's a series of buses that run along the subway routes, and each bus runs once every 30 minutes.
At first I thought it was going to be decent... then I actually used it. It took me over an hour to get from Jillians (Kenmore) to Broadway station. Total distance, about 4 miles. And, this is at 3 AM when there is little traffic.
I agree about the Blue Laws in Massachusetts... they are riduculous. Just think about how much the state loses on Sundays when people flock to the NH borders for alcohol?

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

So you know what you Bostonians have to do. You must throw all the tickets into the harbor.

 

[Edwin-S]

They have to get their revenue from somewhere. Government still has to support the infrastructure. Where do they get the money to do so? I'm sure everyone knows the answer.....consumption taxes.

 

[Benson R]

I think everyone should watch their comments since political discusion is prohibited here. I think it would be a shame for this thread to be closed since this story has ramifacations for people like myself that still frequently go out to the movies. Also discussion of the income tax is irrelevant because city revenue usually comes from property and sales taxes.

 

[Edwin-S]

discussion of the income tax is irrelevant because city revenue usually comes from property and sales taxes.
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I mentioned the income tax because someone stated that this tax would be a state tax if it passed into law. I will edit the post.

 

[Benson R]

Thanks Edwin, I must have missed that this was a possible state tax. Are movie tickets already subject to state sales tax? If so I feel taxing them twice may be harmful to theaters since so many chains are already going out of business.

 

[Edwin-S]

Are movie tickets already subject to state sales tax?
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I wish I could give you an answer but I can't. In Canada, movie tickets are subject to a federal goods and service tax of seven percent.

 

[Dave H]

They have to get their revenue from somewhere. Government still has to support the infrastructure. Where do they get the money to do so? I'm sure everyone knows the answer.....consumption taxes.

Edwin,

I don't think anyone is arguing against supporting some kind of infrastructure. I just get the feeling that many feel they are paying more than their fair share of taxes as it is, and other alternatives needed to be considered instead of adding taxes to movies. Going to a movie isn't cheap as it is - and not just for Bostonians. I don't mean or want to get into a political debate, but I just felt your comment warranted an alternative point of view since you were able to state your opinion of the matter.

 

[Will_B]

So you know what you Bostonians have to do. You must throw all the tickets into the harbor.

LOL!!!