The Berkeley Community Health Commission considered leveraging the explosion in wearable technologies to impose a “bad karma tax” on individuals whose vibe is determined to be detrimental to the community. The Center for Holistic Attributes and Practice (CHAP) offered the proposal. CHAP’s director argued, “Bad karma is a form of public micro-aggression that affects all groups. There is really no place for it in Berkeley.” The tax is viewed as a way to internalize the societal cost of bad karma. An Expert Commission on Karma would recommend uses of tax proceeds to promote “interested and intentional actions to enhance the community.”
CHAPs CTO described how the trend towards wearable technologies creates a window of opportunity to leverage the devices; which measures factors such as body heat, respiration and movement; to create “objective measures of karmic harmony.”
Weary of the impact of a new “lifestyle” tax, Commission members urged an education campaign to allow residents time to adjust to the new rules.
Another organization, Wireless Radiation Education and Defense was supportive of the effort to cultivate good karma in Berkeley, but raised concerns the tax would be dependent on wireless technology. The group advocates for hard-wired copper landlines and fiber optic broadband. WRED suggested the program would further contribute to “anthropogenic sources of electrosmog.” The group proposed the city employ a shaman as a means of enforcing the ordinance. “Look we already have a cadre of individuals uniquely qualified to interact with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness. Let’s deploy them for the common good.”
Health Commission representatives noted, “Lightening our technology footprint would certainly be consistent with Berkeley’s values.”
Before heading to City Council the proposal will go before the Health Commission to consider whether bad karma is an inherent condition or a lifestyle choice.
