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The Senate Finance Committee is meeting today to hear proposals for how to pay for President Obama's proposed universal health care plan, which is expected to cost $1.2 trillion. One idea is a 3 cent tax on soda and sweetened drinks, which could generate some $24 billion over the next four years. Here in New York, a proposed 18% tax on sugary drinks was dropped by Governor Paterson after pressure from the beverage industry; Susan Neely of the American Beverage Association insists "taxes are not going to teach our children how to have a healthy lifestyle." But Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, is one of the experts appearing before the committee today to push for the soda tax, because, as he puts it, "soda is clearly one of the most harmful products in the food supply, and it's something government should discourage the consumption of." According to the Wall Street Journal, Jacobson also wants the government to "sharply raise taxes on alcohol, move to largely eliminate artificial trans fat from food and move to reduce the sodium content in packaged and restaurant food."
Federal Soda Tax Could Help Pay For Obama's Health Care Plan
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SLICE has opened in the former home of Monster Sushi, Hudson Street near Charles...
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Do it
this guy michael jacobson sounds like a real prick.
Tax money transfers to foreign countries...
That advert is brilliant. Given all the crap that was pushed on earlier generations, it's no wonder we're all in such lousy health.
If you really want to see why most Americans are in such horrible health visit, www.inGREEDientsMovie.com This documentary could save your life!!!
just add another nickel to that damn deposit.
The problem is that bottle deposits are refundable. You'd get homeless people rummaging even more aggressively for bottles and cans and every deposit returned is less money for the health care plan.
"soda is clearly one of the most harmful products in the food supply, and it's something government should discourage the consumption of."
Heavan forbid we provide excellent public education, including health, so people can make smart choices. Or maybe enforce pollution and clean up so we can count on tap water to be healthy.
Are we really so dumb in the governments eyes that the only way for them to alter our behavior is with punitive measures.
Most people really are that dumb. Just look at how many people think you can catch swine flu by eating pork. Or how many people believed the urban legend about Church's Fried Chicken putting chemicals in their food to sterilize inner city residents. So yes, punitive measures are about the only way to get things done.
"So yes, punitive measures are about the only way to get things done."
Spoken like a true dictator. Who cares if people are that dumb? Let them grow fat, develop diabetes, and eventually, die earlier than the rest of us. Why does our government feel the need to coddle us all as if we are eternal children in the garden of eden?
If we didn't have any kind of collective health care, I'd agree.
But we do, both privately and publicly. They might die earlier than the rest of us, but it won't be a cheap way out, and then we're all on the hook for it.
This is just a money grab. If they were actually interested in helping people lead healthy lives they would work to lower the price of healthy food. In the words of Obama "Have you seen the price of arugula at Whole Foods?"
So would you prefer a subsidy of healthy foods over a tax on unhealthy foods, then?
There are plenty of inexpensive healthy options. Whole foods is a racket of its own...
I wouldn't say that punitive measures are the "only" way.. but they do seem to be the best tool in the box, unfortunately.
Would you bet on any random person to "make smart choices"? That's what the current system is, and we're all losing.
Can we tax fast food places, like McD's, pizza Huts (pretty much everything in Times Square) etc etc?? They should have a Fat tax too.
The gummint knows best. SCARY.
On on head the government is right in doing this, but why should the government tell people what they can or can't do? You know what happens when the government has too much control....
Agreed.
This issue is too important for the government not to get involved. We cant afford to take care of people at the rate they are getting sick. We need to prevent disease instead of treat disease!!! Please visit www.inGREEDientsMovie.com for the rest of the story.
I don't drink soda and I think universal health care is a wonderful thing (I was born and raised in Canada) but I think it's a bad idea for the gov't to create a soda tax to help pay for universal health care. It's like taxing comic books or video games to pay for public education. I think universal health care and public education are both greatly beneficial to society. However, taxing unhealthy foods to pay for healthcare is a little too nanny state for my taste.
To my knowledge, there is no correlation between comic books/video games and education level. As such, your analogy doesn't seem appropriate.
Vanessa -- Your expensive Canadian cigarettes help pay for Canadian healthcare. Just saying -- quite frankly I think it's a fine idea. Go ahead and tax soda -- it's a completely useless item. I pay tax on wine with my dinner while some idiot ruins a fine meal with a coke -- tax him too!
jacobson, do what you wish with sugary drinks but don't you dare mess with my booze, sister-boy!
my thoughts exactly! haha
I'm all for this. But instead of calling it a "Soda Tax" I want them to rename it the "fat gross whiny people tax whom society hates" tax.
Leave it up to Babyhitler to keep it subtle.
The Republicans have already started to rebel: they are eating more sugary and fatty crap and they are getting bigger and fatter than ever before. Soon, Walmarts will have to widen their aisles even more...
This idea will go away after the beverage industry makes some "donations" to various members of congress.
@Nyctini11 I agree with you, but keep in mind that a) Fast food joints make most of their profit off of sodas and other sugary drinks; and b) The government is already trying to make inroads into regulating the fast food industry in other ways. As an example, look at all those food calorie postings they have to display now. Don't think that hasn't had an effect on the public's understanding of just how awful those foods can be. I mean...the corn lobby has started putting ads on TV saying "corn syrup is actually not bad for you, despite what the rumors say" (see http://tinyurl.com/554448)! And Pepsi has started offering a new version of their main cola that features "real sugar" instead of what they give you at fast food joints, which is corn syrup.
Do it. It's the job of the government to protect the people where they can't protect themselves, or by inference, where they're too stupid to protect themselves. We don't drink pop in our house, so it doesn't hurt me. I see people offering it up to their kids in strollers; F**k 'em, charge them more money.
And work to make healthier food more enticing and accessible (financially, socially, etc.). If all you're doing is f*cking people (as fun as that may sound) but not opening up any other avenues to allow people to easily make better choices, you're not actually making anything better.
What article in the Constitution says anything to this effect?
Not that I would've voted for McCain, but this is exactly why Obama is my worst nightmare. Will he veto this? Doubtful.
Hey, Barry, how about we tax those smokes of yours 200%?
Pigouvian taxes do not work, and more importantly this is an assault on self-responsibility. I just drank a Barq's root beer at lunch today. I rarely drink them because I know they're bad, but fuck it...I really wanted a soda today.
The answer is always tax tax tax, and never cut cut cut.
All I wanted was a pepsi, and she wouldn't give t to me!
All I wanted was a pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me!
Instead of finding things to tax consumers on, perhaps the government should cutoff medical and welfare to the individuals who don't even pay taxes. I am not saying retiree's, I'm saying foodstamps, WIC and medical care for individuals not seeking work. If families can't afford childcare then stop having so many kids. It's so irritating to see others get a free ride!!
just pointing out that the center for science in the public interest tend to use a ton of junk science in their lobbying activities. Anything they opine you can pretty much be instantly dismissed, because it will have no good research to back it up.
That being said, a $0.03 tax that would generate $24 bil for healthcare seems like a pretty decent idea. Though I really disagree on government mandated control on health and personal issues. Jacobson claims that Soda is one of the most harmful products in the foodchain? more harmful than KFC? more harmful than Fugu? What next, will I have to pay $50 for a pint of ben and jerry's because of it's exorbitant fat content by volume? Will avocado's become contraband available only at "health clinics" in californiab ecause they naturally contain fat and are misleading as a vegetable (and can kill cats)?
Anyways, if you do a little research on Jacobson and The center for science in the public interest, I think you'll be able to draw your own conclusions as to their credibility, and to any governing body's wisdom in calling them to testify as experts.
Do it. Obesity, like smoking and pollution, is a negative externality that will hit us in our wallets one way or another.
You are on to something here... You should check out inGREEDientsMovie.com
TAX *THIS*, MR. OBAMA:
http://community.whptv.com/forums/4183573/ShowThread.aspx#4183573
An average soda, or beer, for that matter, has 150 calories per can. One can a day, 7 days a week, = 1050 calories. A stick of butter is 875 calories. Do this once a week, and you have 54,600 calories per year. (/3500 per lb of butter)= 15.6 lbs pure fat gain per year. Do this 10 years, and you're 156 lbs overweight, less the calorie burn for dragging yourself around.
(and your liver turns alcohol and sugar into cholesterol)
Get it?