Posted on 12/08/2014 4:00:43 PM PST by PROCON
Now that calorie counts on restaurant menus are a done deal, it's time to take the next step toward slimming America's flabby waistline..
A national soda tax.
I know, I know: This is the kind of nanny-state talk that causes seizures among conservatives and libertarians. It's an intrusion on personal freedom, a trampling of consumer choice, blah-blah-blah.
It's also, as we've learned from taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, a highly effective method of influencing behavior that carries high social costs.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
We need a National Stupid Tax. Call it the Gruber Bill.
Put a tax on stupidity and we would be swimming in money mostly collected in Washington and state capitals around the country. Keep in mind that a tax on salt was a spark for the French Revolution and taxes on tea and other goods sparked a revolution in the US as well.
It won’t stop soda drinking, it will just make soda the next avenue for a sin tax for supporting the bloated government.
“It’s an intrusion on personal freedom, a trampling of consumer choice, blah-blah-blah.”
I’ll take “blah-blah-blah” over this clowns argument, which is “poo-poo-poo.”
“It’s also, as we’ve learned from taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, a highly effective method of influencing behavior that carries high social costs.”
Ah-huh. Perhaps the author could explain then why it is countries like Ireland, who have a MUCH higher alcohol tax rate than the U.S. (And jacked it up another 15 percent in 2012, IIRC) saw alcohol consumption increase at the same time it was decreasing in the U.S.? U.S. alcohol consumption per capita has decreased roughly 23% since 1990. In that same time period, Irish alcohol consumption has increased 46%. And Ireland is not alone, as several other highly taxed European nations also have seen booze consumption increase.
The answer, which this bozo is conveniently (and probably willfully) not mentioning is that long-term consumption trends of a product have to do with far, far more than just the amount of tax on said product. The notion that a sugar tax is going to anything but put money in Spend-o-Crat pockets is just bunk.
All I want is a Pepsi.
I go, “just give me a Pepsi please”
Just one Pepsi!
And she wouldn’t give it to me!
All I wanted was a Pepsi!
Just a Pepsi!
You mean soda bottles will start being made with those cool tax labels like the liquor bottles have?
John Roberts will be happy to show it to you; he has the ‘special’ version of the constitution.
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As in the case of the “Global Warming” issue, the facts and logic are questionable. Same with CO2. The ignorant never question a lie or misstatement of fact, particularly when told the government is here to help them.
Federal soda tax huh. Will diet soda be taxed because it is a soda too? Seems to me, why don’t they just tax corn sugars and let the tax be passed on to the consumer of the products containing them - of which sodas are one. Hell of a lot easier than taxing each product. The government gets tax revenues for new social programs and we as taxpayers and consumers get screwed again. Of course the ignorant will never know the better and continue to vote for more of the same.
I am against more taxes and government intervention in our lives, so I would not support taxing corn sugar.
Followed by the national sugar tax, butter tax, ice cream tax, sour cream tax, honey tax, caffeine tax, coffee tax, tea tax, potato chip tax, Fritos tax, Pringles tax, sitting in your chair too long tax, not going to the gym tax, driving your car too much tax, not using the bus tax, and the ultimate tax! — Not dying soon enough tax.
And to think we fought the Brits over some stamp and sugar taxes much less onerous than this insanity.
Nanny State PING!
First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.
These lame f***s are just begging for it.
Just waiting for that straw to break.
What about people who are overweight and never drink soda?
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We’ll figure out some other way to tax them!
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Sad thing is you are right.
Many a FReeper celebrated the glorious victory in the war on tobacco. I hope they enjoy these fruits of their joy!
“Now that calorie counts on restaurant menus are a done deal, it’s time to take the next step toward...”
Next step? Tyranny continues the march.....
“Exactly how much does soda contribute to obesity anyway?”
Who cares! We have a meme to push and some liberty to squash!
Michelle Obama’s school menu...does anyone really need to go beyond the evidence that fiasco has brought us?
I want to tax arugula and truffles...liberal food goes to the brain and makes it stupid.
>> “Will diet soda be taxed because it is a soda too?” <<
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“Diet” sodas are the only ones that should be of concern, they are toxic. HFCS is a proven neuro-toxin.
Ordinary cane sugar is harmless in small quantities, just as bread or pasta are.
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