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Special Interest

Taking on the Tan Tax … on TV
by John P. Ribner

JEFFERSONVILLE, IN – Tanning salon owner Lisa Brooking won many fans recently when she spoke out against the Tan Tax on a local TV talk show.

Lisa, owner of True Colors Tanning based in New Albany, IN, was a guest on the July 9 episode of the “Barbara Bryant Morning Talk Show” on WBKI in Louisville, KY. The format for the show was discussion of the “Tan Tax” implemented July 1, 2010 as part of President Barrack Obama’s Healthcare Reform package. Like most in the industry, Lisa believes the tax burdens salon owners and tanners. She also believes it
is not good for business. However, she enjoyed the opportunity to share this opinion with the show’s host and viewers.

After all, this is something most media outlets don’t allow salon owners to do. After viewing a taping of the show, Lisa herself was surprised by how pragmatic her views on the Tan Tax were. “While there will always be people for and against the tax, the unfortunate thing is that people who don’t tan simply won’t care about it one way or the other because it doesn’t affect them,” said Lisa. “The money the government will get from the Tan Tax won’t be nearly enough to fund the entire healthcare reform program, so they’re going to have to get it from somewhere else. I asked the viewers what they’d think if the government started taxing the things that they enjoy doing, such as golf. Hopefully, that got them thinking about it in a different way.”

Lisa also took the opportunity to voice her opinion of the light the Tan Tax casts upon the tanning industry. “People are viewing this as a ‘sin tax,’ because that’s how the medical world views indoor tanning,” she said. “This puts us in the same category as alcohol and tobacco, which is a place tanning does not belong, and causes the public to think about our services in those terms. It’s not fair to them or anyone in this industry.” Along with the Tan Tax discussion, True Colors Regional Manager LaDonna Broadus and staff member Kim Osborne demonstrated an airbrush tan for the show’s host and viewers. “This was another opportunity for people to see what all of us do each day in a more positive light,” Lisa said.

Established in 2003, True Colors Tanning is a nine-salon chain located in five counties in Southern Indiana, with one location in Prospect, KY. The business was voted “Southern Indiana Rising Star Business” in 2005, and “Southern Indiana Business of the Year” in 2010.