Soda Tax

[Sealbinder]

It was proposed here in Philadelphia and I was all for it. The money from the tax was going to medical and school programs. I think taxing a product that contributes to diabetes and using that money to fight diabetes is a good plan. Also using this money to help fund our already in debt school district is a good plan. This is not taxing peoples income or property (which I would be against, the wage tax we have here is almost criminal). Only a soda which you can choose not to buy. Sounds like a win/win in my opinion.

[AeneasBK]

It was proposed here in Philadelphia and I was all for it. The money from the tax was going to medical and school programs. It think taxing a product that contributes to diabetes and using that money to fight diabetes is a good plan. Also using this money to help fund our already in debt school district is a good plan. This is not taxing peoples income or property (which I would be against, the wage tax we have here is criminal almost criminal). Only a soda which you can choose not to buy. Sounds like a win/win in my opinion.

The OP's point is rather than spending your taxes to make HFCS cheaper for you to buy, then taxing you again when you buy it, can't they just stop subsidising corn farmers and put the money straight to - in your example - the schools and hospitals...

[Theodon]

The thread was about the nonsense of taxing twice on the same thing. Someone made a blasé comment about how we should all be eating truly organic food, I was merely saying that its not affordable to the majority, until family sizes are a lot smaller

Aaah! That one got past me there. Organic food is more expensive over here in the UK so I would likely have to stick with the non-organic foodstuffs regardless, as I can't justify the additional cost personally. Sure it's healthier, but a non-organic turnip isn't that much more unhealthy than the organic one from what I know.

[belfpala]

The OP's point is rather than spending your taxes to make HFCS cheaper for you to buy, then taxing you again when you buy it, can't they just stop subsidising corn farmers and put the money straight to - in your example - the schools and hospitals...

I responded on the first page that stopping the subsidies would also increase the price of every other corn product, which would in turn increase the price of many other products. Instead, maintaining the subsidies while singling out a couple products to make less attractive is a better solution.

There may be other ways to do it. Perhaps un-subsidize any corn sold to HFCS producers? Dunno.l

[Oneleg]

I love soda pop. I think it's one of the greatest creations in modern times. But I love Soda without high-fructose corn syrup even more. It's probably healthier to drink gasoline.

HFCS = sugar = sugar...


People that try to avoid it by using another sugar make me giggle, its still SUGAR.

And yeah I can see them taxing it because, well they can.

[Paulosio]

It's the same as why they put so much tax on Cigarettes and Alcohol. Soda contains a ton of sugar and crap and is a major contributor to obesity.... Obesity causes a ton of health issues which cost a ton of money to treat medically.

The tax serves 2 purposes. 1. Help discourage people from drinking them as much. 2.Help pay for the medical treatment that is required partially as a result of them.

Not sure if my description above applies to the US because my understanding is that everyone pays for their own medical treatment and the state pays for nothing (i'm not entirely sure about that).... The above certainly applies to the thinking here in the UK and the tax that gets put on certain items.

[Sorensen]

HFCS = sugar = sugar...


People that try to avoid it by using another sugar make me giggle, its still SUGAR.

And yeah I can see them taxing it because, well they can.

This exactly, natural sugar (sucrose) is 50:50 Fructose:Glucose HFCS is aproximately 60:40 Fructose:Glucose

They are almost the same.

[brickerz]

You fat ass diabetes having fucks are causing my healthcare to go through the roof. Yes, fatties should be taxed, but not on the food they buy. Tax them right off of their paycheck, or take it out of any other money they receive including inheritance, prize, gambling, ss, unemployment, and welfare. You can be a fat ass, just don't make me pay for you to be a fat useless slob. If the healthcare bill still stands, I hope they jack the taxes on obese people for it and let us who have a healthy lifestyle receive a decrease.

[NihilSustinet]

This idea was first proposed years ago. I've been in full support of it for a long time. It's a great idea, and yes i drink a lot of soda

[Vanyali]

You fat ass diabetes having fucks are causing my healthcare to go through the roof. Yes, fatties should be taxed, but not on the food they buy. Tax them right off of their paycheck, or take it out of any other money they receive including inheritance, prize, gambling, ss, unemployment, and welfare. You can be a fat ass, just don't make me pay for you to be a fat useless slob. If the healthcare bill still stands, I hope they jack the taxes on obese people for it and let us who have a healthy lifestyle receive a decrease.

While you yell this, I don't want to hear that you smoke, drink, drive recklessly, live near a power plant/ cell phone tower, eat non-organic (pesticide possibility!), live near farms that use pesticides, live where wild animals might maul you, live where people are prone to breaking in an hurting you, do any sport that might cause you to be injured, or engage in any other "dangerous" activity willingly. Including a dangerous job.

Don't want you jacking up my taxes either.

[Sorensen]

People are told that it's a healthier alternative though, then later it's found out to not be as true as the producers would have you believe. I don't think people intend to totally avoid consuming sugar, but rather to switch to a slightly healthier form of it, but the fact that it's actually worse than cane sugar isn't shouted out after the fact is learned,.

Except its not worse, its actually is better because HFSC actually uses less sugar in soda than cane sugar because it is sweeter and so you can use less grams of sugar per soda to get the same amount of sweetness.

[Theodon]

Except its not worse, its actually is better because HFSC actually uses less sugar in soda than cane sugar because it is sweeter and so you can use less grams of sugar per soda to get the same amount of sweetness.

I deleted my post because I mixed up the use of fatty diets on rats with those on HFSC.

To quote the article on page 1;

Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

"When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they're becoming obese -- every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don't see this; they don't all gain extra weight."

Whether one is better than the other seems a moot point as both are seemingly bad for anyone.

[Halicia]

This idea was first proposed years ago. I've been in full support of it for a long time. It's a great idea, and yes i drink a lot of soda

They tried to get it passed in Maine a few years back.

The soda companies ended up paying more getting the tax blocked then they would have actually paid for the taxes. But they were afraid that if it succeeded in one state, it would be picked up elsewhere.

[SoundOfGuns]

I actually agree with this. I would like the government to tax anything that is unhealthy. They've been taxing cigarettes for ages, so go for sodas!

Okay... you know what exactly people going to answer to that, huh? I mean... texing everything unhealthy? ...EVERYTHING? Take yourself 5 minutes pondering what people consider unhealthy and actually is from a certain point of view...

GameTex, coming to a country near you!

[mistuhbull]

You fat ass diabetes having fucks are causing my healthcare to go through the roof. Yes, fatties should be taxed, but not on the food they buy. Tax them right off of their paycheck, or take it out of any other money they receive including inheritance, prize, gambling, ss, unemployment, and welfare. You can be a fat ass, just don't make me pay for you to be a fat useless slob. If the healthcare bill still stands, I hope they jack the taxes on obese people for it and let us who have a healthy lifestyle receive a decrease.

So you would want to tax professional athletes because according to the measurements people use to determine "obesity" pretty much every single NFL player (except QBs and Kickers) would be Obese

[fadedmind]

Seems like people in this thread have been drinking too much soda and are now over-caffeinated.

I don't think it will reduce soda consumption at all, unless the tax is enormous. But if we're going to have crazy taxes, shouldn't we also tax caffeinated beverages as well? I mean, caffeine is an addictive substance (and probably is a partial contributor to why people drink so much soda).

Idk I drink a few cups of coffee in the morning(due to waking up for work at 2am) but I don't drink any soda just tea, water and juices

[Bromance22]

Idk exactly what its like in the US, but in Canada, pop is probably 50% cheaper than water, so the obvious quick choice (think children specifically) is to buy pop (soda what ever), start taxing pop = everyone else now gets to benefit from your poor dietary habbits. Schools and any other child care centres are no longer allowed to have vending machines with pop unless it is Diet (retarded because Diet pop is even worse than regular, it just has "no" sugar, just way more other cancer causing agents >.>).

But i agree with this Tax, people shouldnt be drinking pop, its a burden on healthcare, and its not as if there banning it, just raising the cost a little more, dont want to spend a fraction more? then dont buy it, sometimes I just dont understand Americans, never want to pay Taxes, but you expect so much from your government, its one or the other :P

Just imagine this, the taxes your already spending going towards healthcare for those with diabetese and any other illness caused by obesity (Heart disease etc) will be saved and replaced with a much lower costing "Soda Tax" and hey, if you stop drinking the poisonous shit, then all the better for you!

One last thing, if the economy is in such a horrible state where one cannot spend an extra ~12 or so cents on a can of pop, i cant imagine how Obama has a chance at re-election :P

[caninepawprints]

I think the reason they're choosing to tax soda is because it's the most purchased beverage in the United States. It's even purchased more than any one type of food. It's not to make the population healthier, though, because taxing something isn't going to make people stop buying it. They'll just complain about the price increase. They're doing it to make money.

[Saisen]

Here you go:
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/poison




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_ignorance

All food when taken in excess will ruin your health. So by your take on the definition all food is poisonous.

[Landin55]

I want a idiot tax before a soda tax =3. But really taxing soda is just a stupid cop out. People need to learn self control, taxing isn't going help (unless you are on the receiving end of that money.). Like someone posted about the cigarette tax.....that sure helps right? No people just waste more money on it.