NY Bill Proposes Fat Tax On Games, DVDs, Junk Food 793
eldavojohn writes "GamePolitics is writing about a proposal to tax things that make your kids fat. The logic from its author: 'Almost all experts agree that the primary reasons [for the obesity epidemic] are increased consumption of larger quantities of high calorie foods, snacks and sugar sweetened beverages... and lack of physical activity as vigorous play is replaced by sedentary activities such as watching more television, movies and videos and playing video games. This bill would raise revenues from modest surcharges on the very food products and sedentary activities that are linked to the lifestyle changes involved in the explosion of childhood obesity in the last 20-30 years.' Not as explicit as Japan's fat tax but we're getting there."
Also a tax on Health care premiums (Score:5, Informative)
Got a letter from my company's health insurance yesterday.
"Health care premiums will increase as a direct result of the State Legislature approving the Governor's proposed increases in taxes, fees and assessments on your health benefits on February 4, as part of his Deficit Reduction Plan."
So they're taxing both ends.
Re:Money Grab (Score:5, Informative)
I don't applaud the effort.
Let's tax loan officers instead because their industry causes great financial harm to the country.
Don't agree? Maybe that's because neither of these makes a lot of sense.
Re:Money Grab (Score:3, Informative)
It isn't about making people skinny, it's about paying for the additional medical costs incurred by obesity.
How is giving the state government money relevant? Does New York have socialized medicine?
Re:Nice idea, wrong approach (Score:1, Informative)
While I'm not convinced anything is inherently evil about HFCS, without all those corn subsidies, the stuff wouldn't be so artifically cheap compared to cane.
I say drop the subsidies before taxing joe consumer.
Bit late for that now (Score:3, Informative)
Have you ever even visited the US? Many areas are so thoroughly designed with the car in mind that attempting to walk, cycle or use public transport is downright impossible.
Re:Also a tax on Health care premiums (Score:4, Informative)
The answer is to jump ship for another insurer with lower premiums. Oh, they're all raising rates? That's the joy of oligopoly.
Note: at a previous employer, I was able to negotiate a higher salary in exchange for not receiving medical benefits. I self-insured, and made out pretty well (my total cost was around 60% of the company's premium, but they paid me 75% of their premiums over base pay -- so we both saved money, even after employment taxes on the salary difference). My current employer offers nothing of the sort, so they're stuck paying high rates.
Re:How about taxing corn instead of sugar? (Score:3, Informative)
But high-fructose corn syrup is about half glucose and about half fructose, just like regular table sugar. The fact that it is derived from corn doesn't magically make it evil somehow.
But why do the lab tests show that mice fed HFCS more obese than the ones fed normal sugar?
Re:Money Grab (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Money Grab (Score:3, Informative)
Um, ground beef's 3.50 a pound here. Thats for the cheapest (and fattiest) stuff.
That means if i want to match that one dollar fast food quarter pounder, I've spent 88 cents of it on meat, and haven't even payed for the bun. Sometimes I can make cheap burgers, when all the right things are on sale, but not often.
Re:Money Grab (Score:2, Informative)
NY's population remains powerless. We've got no citizen initiated referrendum or recall powers and due to the Assembly's power base in NYC, the opinion of the roughly 50% of the population in the rest of the state doesn't even matter. We're dictated to, not listened to. It's nothing short of a tyranny and is one of the driving causes in the hatred of NYC by the rest of the state.
Re:Money Grab (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Money Grab (Score:3, Informative)
Yeah, except the last time a Democrat was President of the U.S. didn't they burn done some compound in Texas because they wouldn't let the ATF in on a "child abuse" warrant? (hint: the ATF doesn't have jurisdiction in child abuse cases)
Yeah, and how many ATF agents were killed & wounded?
I'm not sure the ATF really wants to play that type of scenario out in Texas on a large scale. They'd run out of agents long before Texas ran out of Texans or ammo. I don't think even the Democrats are nutty enough to start dropping MOABs or tactical nukes in the continental US on our own citizens.
Then again, I could be wrong. I didn't think they'd send in tanks and use incendiaries in Waco or shoot an unarmed woman with a baby in her arms at Ruby Ridge, either.
Funny how that works. Don't want to make radical Muslims that have attacked and killed Americans many many times and want to kill everyone that aren't them uncomfortable by yelling at them, but inconvenient citizens are open-season with a bulls-eye on their backs.
Interesting times, indeed.
Strat