Posted on 01/18/2013 2:11:53 PM PST by nickcarraway
And other lessons on how morality can affect policy, from New England to the Bible Belt
Some people like to smoke marijuana. Some people like to drink beer. And some people like to do both. The amount that they do each depends on incentives -- for example, easy accessibility or higher prices of one of them -- but it's fair to say that for many people weed and beer are what economists would call substitute goods: if your consumption of one goes up, the other will go down, a phenomenon scientists have quantified in various contexts.
Enter into this tension a dude named weed who's trying to decrease Granite Staters' consumption of beer.
Chuck Weed, a Democratic New Hampshire state representative, has proposed increasing the state beer tax by 33 percent, from 30 to 40 cents per gallon, to pay for infrastructure improvements. (The bill's co-sponsor is from Greenville, for what it's worth.) The proposal would raise an estimated $4 million a year, but there are other proposals for increased revenue, including a higher gas tax. What's more, newly elected Governor Maggie Hassan, also a Democrat, won't raise her glass to Weed's proposal. "I want to let the people of New Hampshire know I oppose increasing the beer tax and I will veto it if it gets to my desk," she told reporters. Hassan might be wise to steer clear of the measure. In the state with the nation's greatest per-capita consumption of beer, such a levy could very well be, uh, kryptonite. (The state is also among the nation's highest consumers of weed.)
Wait, don't go! This isn't just a bunch of pot jokes! There's a real policy lesson here!
Take a look at this map of beer taxes around the country from the Tax Foundation.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Sorry but I have nothing to apologize for.........
That’s just spiteful though. If everyone thought that way, we’d never stick together about anything.
You are what we call a lemming.
Enjoy your freedom while it lasts.
Except smokes, boy did we Conservative Smokers take a lashing during the Great FR Smoker Beatdown.
Let's see taxing snacks, beer and bullets now, looks like I'm a few "I told you so's" ahead of the game now.
Sounds so....Democratic (like voting for revenge). I guess we are truly lost when those who have suffered decide that allowing others to suffer is more important than getting back to the Constitution and Freedom.
The tax is actually a carbon tax on the CO2 effervescence released when the top is removed. Beer and all fermented liquids are a significant CO2 source.
The same is true of untaxed soft drinks. Coke and Pepsi should be taxed as well. CO2 is killing us.
The tax is actually a carbon tax on the CO2 effervescence released when the top is removed. Beer and all fermented liquids are a significant CO2 source.
The same is true of untaxed soft drinks. Coke and Pepsi should be taxed as well. CO2 is killing us.
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Okay, perhaps you’re being sarcastic.
If you’re not, I can only suggest that you open the garage door and turn the engine off.
This will go over well.
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