Should junk food be sin taxed?

[Faithless]

Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown has suggested one way the state could generate more revenue and solve its budget woes is to levy taxes on unhealthy behaviors such as drinking and eating junk food.

In an interview Thursday, Brown said “there are a number of activities” that could be taxed and suggested a tax on people who eat salty and sugary foods as well as “a tippler tax on those who drink at the bar.”

His spokeswoman, T.T. Nhu, said Friday that Brown thinks “it would be beneficial to have a junk food tax” and he’s been influenced by policies in Canada, which taxes chocolate in addition to alcohol and cigarettes.
http://www.smdailyjournal.org/article.cfm?issue=12-20-03&storyID=26705

I wonder if Chinese food could ever be affected by this. :confused:

[DragonKnight]

Junk food tax? Oh geez...

[bluemonq]

our (well, i spend half my time at my grandma's in oakland) wonderful mayor jerry brown thinks that we should tax junk food because he thinks it's bad ? next thing you know, there'll be a tax on:

-watching tv
-playing video games
-saying the word 'like'
-lurking all day in forums :tongue:

[Chester]

I like Governor Moonbeam, but maybe the city should levy a tax on carpetbagging politicians...

[Faithless]

Nebraska had proposed one in January of this year. LB 57, the so called Sugary Food Tax --

http://newsletter.ncsa.org/vnews/display.v/ART/3e20e2dfef05b
NCSA Summary: LB 57 extends sales tax collection to "junk foods," including bakery items, candy, snack foods, and soft drinks. The legislation defines these items as follows:

"Bakery items" means pastries, donuts, Danish, cakes, tortes, pies, tarts, bars, and cookies;
"Candy" means a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces. Candy does not include any preparations containing flour which require no refrigeration;

"Snack foods" means chips, which includes those made from potatoes, flour, corn, popcorn, and pretzels; and

"Soft drinks" means nonalcoholic beverages that contain natural or artificial sweeteners. Soft drinks do not include beverages that contain milk or milk products, soy, rice, or similar milk substitutes, or greater than 50% vegetable or fruit juice by volume.

The expanded sales tax provisions would become operative on October 1, 2003.

According to the State of Nebraska's web site, on May 1st, the bill was indefinitely postponed.

[Faithless]

Looks like the State of New York was working on one as well --

http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A09145

A09145 Memo:
TITLE OF BILL : An act to amend the tax law, in relation to imposing
an additional tax on certain items; and to amend the state finance
law, in relation to creating the childhood obesity prevention program
fund

PURPOSE OF BILL : To raise revenue for the NYS Childhood Obesity
Prevention Program.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS : 1. Would add a new section 1105-d
to the Tax Law to require an additional 1/4 of one per cent sales tax
on:

(a) food and drink currently taxed, except for bottled water;

(b) sale and rental of video and computer games, and video game
equipment; and,

(c) sale and rental of video and DVD movies.

[hooligan]

added to the list

-beer tax
-fast food tax
-'punching the one eyed clown' tax

[Blue dice]

This just seems like an excuse to slap on more taxes I really doubt it'll limit anyone's consumption. Fatty McFatt will still proceed to toss cakes and christmas hams into his mouth given the chance.

[Faithless]

-'punching the one eyed clown' tax

:rolleyes: :tongue: :biggrin:

That and Tahoe Tessie.

[Faithless]

This just seems like an excuse to slap on more taxes I really doubt it'll limit anyone's consumption. Fatty McFatt will still proceed to toss cakes and christmas hams into his mouth given the chance.

The tax payers will have to thank him, then, since Hummy McHummer got off in Cali.

[hooligan]

:rolleyes: :tongue: :biggrin:

That and Tahoe Tessie.
:eek: who's tahoe tessie?

[rice cracker]

:eek: who's tahoe tessie?

More importantly, is she hot?

[hooligan]

More importantly, is she hot?
and would you hit it?

[Faithless]

Tahoe Tessie (http://shop.store.yahoo.com/tahoecountry-store/books1.html) , if you can handle it. :cool:

[Tao]

why don't they just get it over with and charge a fatass tax. better yet, if the government is already deciding to control people's free will, they might as well charge an ugly tax too. fuck they'd have a budget surplus from nebraska alone.

[hooligan]

why don't they just get it over with and charge a fatass tax. better yet, if the government is already deciding to control people's free will, they might as well charge an ugly tax too. fuck they'd have a budget surplus from nebraska alone.
don't they already charge obese passengers on flights extra?

while they're at it, they should issue "kid" licenses, which give you rights to bear/raise children.

[>:^|]

while they're at it, they should issue "kid" licenses, which give you rights to bear/raise children.

People should not be allowed to breed
Without getting licenses for their bad seed
They should choose adoption
As a much better option
Because you need a license if you want to proceed.

[Faithless]

Kentucky looked into it. I'm sure a lot of other states and jurisdictions will look into it as a way to ease budget problems.

Kentucky budget problems (http://www.kypost.com/2003/12/24/nku12-24-2003.html)

[kasia]

yes. and the money should fund domestic violence programs because so many wife-beaters are low-lives that sit at home all day long and eat junk food.

did you know that the day with the most reported incidences of domestic violence each year is ... the day of the superbowl - when men are chillin in front of their televisions with peanuts and nachos.

i say we tax 'em.

[Faithless]

... - when men are chillin in front of their televisions with peanuts and nachos.

And domestic beer that tout, "real men of genius". It don't take one to be a wife beater.

[Tao]

yes. and the money should fund domestic violence programs because so many wife-beaters are low-lives that sit at home all day long and eat junk food.

did you know that the day with the most reported incidences of domestic violence each year is ... the day of the superbowl - when men are chillin in front of their televisions with peanuts and nachos.

i say we tax 'em.
well isn't that a bit condescending? to say that the only people who sit at home and eat junk foods are low-life men that depend on their female conterpart to provide for them?

the incident with the superbowl can be due to alcohol comsumption more so than eating fritos in my opinion. If you wanna tax something, increase taxes on alcoholic beverages.

I've never once heard of people beating others up after stuffing themselves full of pork rinds, hell they can barely get the blood flowing through their chubby fingers due to all the saturated fat and cholesterol they just ingested, let alone assaulting someone. If wife-beaters are the ones who primarily eat junk food i'd think that encouraging them to eat more unhealthy foods would be a better tactic. Hell, they'd get so over weight and obese that the women can easily beat them up.

[kasia]

i obviously wasn't being serious.

[Tao]

i obviously wasn't being serious.
oh, i can't tell anymore

[kasia]

oh, i can't tell anymore

=) i know. it's hard to tell on the internet.

[thaite]

Sure, as long as they offer an incentive like being able to deduct from your taxes the cost of gym membership and athletic gear. But they won't do that.

[kitty]

oh god no. never... it's just an excuse for the government to leach money unnecessarily (and use it to line the pockets of those who don't need it)... I might be okay with it if the money was used to fund public wellness programs.

But you know it'll go to a White House pay raise.