Taxing Corn/fructose soft drinks w/poll.
In the NYT piece today, Proposed Tax on Sugary Beverages Debated, President Obama comes out and seems to endorse the idea,
I actually think it’s an idea that we should be exploring,
and goes into many reasons as to why we should, but then notes there would be significant resistance to such a tax.
Well, when is there not resistance to any tax. This is such a no-brainer. There's no doubt a correlation exist between sugary soft drinks and diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure, driving up the cost of health care for us all. Naturally the soft drink industry opposes any tax that would stand between chubby nintendo playing tikes guzzling their soda's.
I argue the tax doesn't go far enough.
How about a consumption tax, say a nickel on burgers and pizza's these fat factories, McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut etc., sell to the public. How are they any different from Coca-Cola? There's a reason why you're supposed to fast before getting blood work done. I've worked as a phlebotomist long enough, and centrifuged enough blood, to see the lard that flows through peoples veins after eating a burger and I'm here to tell you that once you see that plug of lard in a test tube atop your blood, salads start looking a whole lot more palatable.
As does getting off ones ass and exercising.
This is one tax everyone should support. If it changes peoples eating habits well then fine. If not, at least these folks will be contributing to their own medical costs, and not to mention the cost of HCR, when they start stroking out, having heart attacks or have their limbs whittled away due to diabetes.
Unlocking the Diabetes-Heart-Disease Connection