Junk food tax idea gaining acceptance

Junk food tax idea gaining acceptance

www.upi.com

The idea of taxes on "junk food" to help pay for the restructuring the U.S. healthcare system is gaining popularity, experts say.

Public health experts and lawmakers in six states have voiced support for slapping "sin taxes" on high-calorie foods and drinks, such as soda pop, that they blame for an epidemic of obesity and its soaring related healthcare costs, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

(visit the link for the full news article)

An interesting twist and an interesting debate.

If this ends up happening, instead of the rich people paying more taxes, the burden will fall on the poor to pick up the tab. I guess this is appropriate since it is the working class that bailed out wall street, they should also be the ones picking up the tab on health care reform.

On one hand, I do think that the fast food industry is extremely damaging to the health of many Americans. I would say that it is at least as damaging as cigarettes which are insanely taxed. So, if they can tax cigarettes, why not tax cheeseburgers? On the other hand, I just don't agree with sin taxes.

It is a complicated issue for sure. I can see arguments both for and against the proposal. In the end though, more taxes that primarily affect the working class and below are hard to accept, especially considering the current state of our economy and the ever increasing divide between the wealthy and the rest of the population.

www.upi.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I think people should be encourages to snack healthy, and if raising prices on junk food through taxes will do the trick, power to it.

Discourage unhealthy eating and helping the government at the same time.

I do eat junk food on occasion, but not enough that this tax would really impact my daily life. Unless a box of Cheese-Its becomes like.... $10.

Well, if they seem to think or know its unhealthy to eat n drink! woudnt it be right, to remove them from store shelves? no..they wanna sell it to the sucker, n charge him/her 1/3 more than what its worth, and continue to do so, till those drinks n snacks give you a heart attack. what a sick mindless system were stuck in.

reply to post by Karlhungis


Good. I predicted this years ago, and am seeing it happen. You fatties are going to get the same treatment the lousy smokers have been getting. Enjoy your taxes!

reply to post by ravenshadow13


Sure everyone should snack healthier.

The problem with that is I can pick up a can of soda and small pack of chips for maybe a buck.

or

I can pick up a bottle of water and a granola bar for about two bucks.


Instead of taxing the crap out of unhealthy snack foods they should work on a a way to lower the cost of healthy snack foods.

reply to post by jd140


I was going to post that. BUT.

Then I thought.

I can get a huge thing of grapes for maybe $3 and it will last a week.

I can get a pound of granola for really cheap, vanilla is cheap, I can cook up my own granola bars for cheap.

I can get a head of lettuce and make a salad for less than a bag of packaged salad and it will last me longer than some junk food.

Junk food is addictive empty calories. It is doable to make your own snacks. Buy some tortillas, make your own chips. Make your own trail mix.

Even make your own chocolate bars for much less and much healthier than what you can buy.

So... that argument doesn't fly. It works with things like soda vs milk, that takes work and effort to do the right thing, but with junk food... I don't think so.

reply to post by ravenshadow13


Your argument is still not realistic.
The cheapest foods are also the worst for you and some poor families actually rely on them for a sheer calorie per dollar basis.

You are supporting a mode of taxation that once again penalizes people based on their lifestyle or their lack of income. It is another elitist method of division that the crooked rich political machine loves to use against us.

[edit on 123131p://f21Monday by badgerprints]

The problem with 'SIN' taxes is who decides what is a sin? Next it'll be its unhealthy to do watersports , way too many people get hurt and thats a drain on our health system. Then you will have to pay for a permit to do water sports. Then whats next rock climbing? What about sex , it causes too many STD's, then they will tax condoms lol. The problem is they always find a new 'Unhealthy' or 'sin" to tax, it never ends.

This government is pathetic.

The people are even more pathetic for entertaining this idea.


*We went to war over a tea tax. Now we cheer for it.

'Take my Freedoms away! Limit my choices! Tax me! tax me! Eco-friendly!'




[edit on 24-8-2009 by Exuberant1]

reply to post by ravenshadow13


Thats all nice and good. But a snack is something that you want right then. I could buy all of them things and might not snack for a few weeks. By then most of it is bad.

If a person is at work and they decide they could use a little something until lunch then their only resource is a snack machine. That person may not snack everyday and would not normaly carry something like granola.

So someone like me would not benefit from going to the market and spending money to make my own granola bars, chocolate bars. Heck most times when I do buy grapes they go bad before I can even eat half of them.

So yes my arguement flies, you are just being to hard headed to see it.

reply to post by badgerprints


Star for that badgerprints. Well said.



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[edit on 24-8-2009 by DontTreadOnMe]

reply to post by badgerprints


That's because many companies supply low income families with coupons and samples of the food that is the worst for them, not the best.

I read Nickel and Dimed. I'm aware of the crisis plaguing low income families in this country. I still hold fast to the idea that if you are not a low income family, this tax is a good idea.

The income issue was not addressed in the OP and I have voiced your opinion in numerous threads on this issue in the past. I was referring to the average American household.

It said " more taxes that primarily affect the working class and below are hard to accept, especially considering the current state of our economy and the ever increasing divide between the wealthy and the rest of the population. "

More taxes is a different issue than the quality of food that money can buy. The truth is that low income families should have easier access to better food, period.

Edit- I know some vending machines that went healthy by offering baked chips instead of fries, single servings of Pop Tarts instead of double, and fruit snacks in lieu of gummies. I think it was an excellent move and should be commended and repeated.

[edit on 8/24/2009 by ravenshadow13]

I am starting to think we've allowed the government way too much leeway on taxes in the first place. Give them an inch.... This would give a little to much up to be worth it. The government will tell us what is good for us? How many food companies would find a way around this with the help of friendly politicians? The governments intrusion into our lives has gotten out of hand. How about elected officials don't receive a salary while in office? If you can come up with the money to run for office why get paid for it? The perks are more than compensation for the job!

Originally posted by ravenshadow13
reply to post by badgerprints

 

I was referring to the average American household.

[edit on 8/24/2009 by ravenshadow13]

The tax is unfair in that it focuses on a portion of the population based on what they eat or what they can afford to eat. There is no justification.



[edit on 123131p://f46Monday by badgerprints]

In a world where it is less expensive to eat junk food than it is to eat fruits and veggies...

I'll leave that to everyone else to answer.

Originally posted by Tentickles
In a world where it is less expensive to eat junk food than it is to eat fruits and veggies...

I'll leave that to everyone else to answer.

I prefer to live in such societies.

I like the choice.

I have a son who basically survives on "junk food" and is underweight
So where is the obesity factor in cases like his ?
Granted his health is probably not so great but he is not fat.

If "junk foods" foods get taxed for health reasons then all foods should be taxed as there are alot of things humans eat that can have adverse affects on us, including getting fat.
It's all about how much you eat of anything, along with how its is prepared.
There is a big diffefence in broiling, baking, roasting, smoking, frying or boiling meats.
Do we get taxed if we cook and prepar all of our own foods and still get fat or ill?

I started to gain an excess of weight while living a vegetarian lifestyle.
I was told by a Nutritionist I was eating to much fruit in my diet.



[edit on 24-8-2009 by azureskys]

Originally posted by ravenshadow13
I think people should be encourages to snack healthy, and if raising prices on junk food through taxes will do the trick, power to it.

Discourage unhealthy eating and helping the government at the same time.

Wow.... People should be free to eat what they want, or what they can eat. Not you, nor ayone else should be "encouraging" anything, the way you are proposing it, on everyone else...

Do you ever even take one minute to read what you post?...

don't like the idea. it's too Orwellian.


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[edit on 24-8-2009 by DontTreadOnMe]