In the early aftermath of Madison’s Smoking Ban I attempted a facetious post calling for our enlightened City leadership to follow their own logic and Ban Tattoo Parlors! If you can tag behavior to health then government intervention is justified. In other words, because medical care costs money, the government has the responsibility to actively suppress behavior that may potentially end up costing the government money. I find this an appalling concept but apparently many people don’t.
Leave it to the Canadians to actually find a way to link healthcare costs with tattoos, and furthermore conclude that the way to prevent future medical expenses to the State, is for the State to provide Subsidized Prison Tattoos. “Another first for Canada and quite possibly the world”.
The project aims to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases, such as hepatitis or HIV, when inmates give each other tattoos using such items as paper clips and pens. Rockwood is one of six correctional facilities across the country taking part in the $700,000 program.This is why I suck at progressive thinking. I assumed that liberals would extend the public smoking ban logic to ban the public practice of permanent skin alteration, but instead the liberals want to provide taxpayer subsidies and franchise rights within the prisons. Now I’m waiting for Tammy Baldwin to propose this for the United States since there is international precedent. In the meantime the rest of us can study our Prison Tattoo Guide, just in case.
Connie Johannson, assistant warden at the minimum-security prison, says 21 inmates have paid the $5 to get a tattoo in the program since September. While Johannson says the fee may sound cheap, it’s worth it when weighed against the enormous cost to society posed by infectious diseases.
