Posted on 04/30/2008 4:02:08 PM PDT by mware
New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Tax On Fast Food 'Sin' Tax Could Help Fund Struggling Hospitals
Reporting Christine Sloan
WINDSOR, N.J. (CBS) ― The sputtering economy has caused an increase in prices of many staples including gasoline, rice, ice cream, even beer. Now some lawmakers in New Jersey are considering taking food taxes a step further and install a proverbial "sin" tax on fast food.
Yes, the idea of marking up your favorite fast food burger or pack of fries is actually being tossed around, and it's not settling well with many residents.
"They're taxing everything. Now you're gonna tax fast food? That's crazy," said Newark resident Miriam Robertson.
Added Livingston resident Tina Abrahamian: "No one wants to be taxed. I mean, it's a necessity to eat and people need to eat and with everything skyrocketing, that's the last thing we want to tax."
The thought of taxing a Big Mac or a Wendy's burger came up at a New Jersey Hospital Association meeting where Gov. Jon S. Corzine was asked if it could be an option to help fund struggling hospitals. At the meeting, he reportedly called it a "constructive suggestion."
A spokesperson for the governor, however, told CBS 2 on Wednesday:
"The governor is open to reasonable solutions to help solve our financing problems, but there are no plans for any fast food tax."
State Sen. Richard Codey has been quoted as saying a tax on fast food "is a tax on the poor." And plenty of residents agree.
"[It cost] $12.86 for [fries] and this little chicken wrap, and they want to tax that? You're serious?" asked Newark resident Saladine Fuller. "If they raise it, I'll stop buying it."
Still, some say taxing fast food isn't such a bad idea.
"I think this country has gone too much in the direction of fast and unhealthy food, and if people are taxed they may terminate that and turn toward more healthy foods," said West Orange resident Maureen Felix.
For now, the fast food tax is just an idea. Detroit lawmakers once toyed with it, but it never passed into law.
How about a 200% tax increase on those 5 star restourants that these politicians go to instead of trying to nail the working class again with another libtard tax increase. Even better these guys can cut some BS programs and save money.
Open the door with cigarettes, and there's no end to it. I can see it now.
"We'll collect hundreds of millions$ to deal with the expense beached whales have on the government health care systems."
Then we'll spend the funds on schools, highways, Gay Pride centers and other really important stuff.
Welcome to the bed you made, morons...
Dear New Jersey Hospital Association:
Save money: abolish NJ government.
People could afford a lot more health care, then.
Crazy is voting for such politicians. But as usual the lowest common (D)enominator rules the elections.
Not reasonable.
How about anything you can eat in less than 90 minutes?
: )
But, it's an organic, free range chicken wrap; and the fries are a very rare organic potato grown & imported (by coyote-back) from 16,000' in the Peruvian Andes, and cooked in virgin organic avacado oil....
A better choice is the 2-for-$3 double cheeseburgers from a certain local (non-chain) joint in town. All the taste, and twice the cholesterol!
This won’t pass now, this week or this month but it is only a question of when not if. A fast food tax will pass eventually.
“They’re taxing everything. Now you’re gonna tax fast food? That’s crazy,” said Newark resident Miriam Robertson....
Uuuhhh, Miriam, are you insured by Medicaid there in Newark, or SCHIP?
Why should taxpayers have to pay for your diabetic testing equipment?
You wanted to be a ward of the state. Their house, their rules. Drop the Chalupa.
When they came for the drinkers during Prohibition, I did not speak out, as I was not a drinker.
When they came for the employees of the oldest profession in the world, I did not speak out, as I had no interest in purchasing sex.
When they came for the purveyors of what was deemed to be “obscene” or “offensive”, I did not speak out, as I was not a fan of entertainers like Lenny Bruce or Howard Stern.
When they came to ban the female mammary gland from TV, I did not speak out, because Brian Boitano told me not to.
When they came for the marijuana smokers, I did not speak out, as I was not a marijuana smoker.
When they came for the steroid users, I did not speak out, as I was not a steroid user.
When they came for the _______ (insert nominally objectionable behavior here), I did not speak out as I was not a _________ (fill in the blank).
When they came for the fireworks buyer, I did not speak out, as I just sat on my lawn chair and watched the State sponsored 4th of July event
When they came for the pornographers, I did not speak out, as I was not a pornographer.
When they came for the people who don’t wear seatbelts, I did not speak out, as I always wore my seatbelt.
When they came for the gun owners, I did not speak out, as I was not a gun owner.
When they came for the gamblers, I did not speak out, as I was not a gambler.
When they came for the “polluters”, I did not speak out as I was not a polluter.
When they came for the SUV drivers, I did not speak out, as I did not drive an SUV.
When they came for the cigarette smokers, I did not speak out, as I was not a smoker.
When they came for the overweight and the obese, I did not speak out, as I was not overweight or obese.
When they came for the drinkers (again), I did not speak out, as I was not a drinker.
Then they came for me...and there was nobody left to speak out.
Yup....Boston tea party. These thieves think they are unstoppable. They are at the point where they will do what ever they want.
Like in the movie “The Patriot” when Mel Gibson was looking for the weak point of the British army and he said “Pride...pride is their weakness”.
I believe very soon their pride and arrogance will get the best of them. These people are crooks and should be put in jail. Also, if this was a business they would have been out of business years ago.
Any moron can raises taxes...heck, a 3 year old can do that!! time to take our state back.....it will happen. people will revolt soon.
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