With tax revenue from Wall Street taking a nosedive, New York has been forced to get creative. Governor David Paterson has proposed a variety of tax hikes and budget cuts to fill a $15.4 billion budget gap. In addition to eliminating 521 state jobs and cutting school aid by $699 million, an 18% tax on non-diet sodas and sugary juice drinks has been proposed. This has been suggested as a way to not only bring in badly needed revenue, but slim the waistlines of New Yorkers.
It isn’t the first time the state has taken such measures. In 2006, New York City banned trans fats in an effort to make the city healthier. It’s too soon to know whether this has had any tangible effect, but it has caused many to cry out that government has no place in the kitchen.
So, would a price increase like this keep you from buying unhealthy foods, or are you committed to filling your gullet with as much corn syrup and grease as you can handle, no matter what the cost?
--Cody
I think there's certainly a good argument for keeping the gov't out of one's kitchen. On the other hand, when you take into account the millions of dollars spent on healthcare every year due to obesity, I think that the gov't has a stake in the health of its people.
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