Duh!
Posted on 12/17/2008 5:40:01 PM PST by Eric Blair 2084
Governor Paterson says he can raise $404 million in state revenues with a 15% tax on soft drinks (but not diet sodas, juices, milk, or water).
The relevant section of the statute reads:
"Create Sales Tax on Soft Drinks. Imposes an additional 18 percent rate of sales and compensating use taxes on fruit drinks that contain less than seventy percent of natural fruit juice and non-dietetic soft drinks, sodas and beverages. By increasing the price, it will discourage individuals, especially children and teenagers, from excessive consumption of these beverages. Revenues will be directed for health care initiatives."
And here’s the American Beverage Association’s predictable response: hurts the middle class, nobody wants it, no science or logic behind it.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. For example, the maker of a carbonated juice drink wrote me to complain that her product, which is 50% juice and taxable, contains under 70 calories per 8-ounces in comparison to non-taxed 100% fruit juice at 110 calories/8 ounces. Obesity is about calories, no? Or is it really about the kinds of products people habitually drink?
I’m curious to know what you think of this idea. Please weigh in.
No more beef if Britain hopes to cut carbon emissions:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5323615.ece
What's in corn sweetener? Why is it worse than sugar?
Duh!
I went to school with a lot of people who are MD's now. They never did get enough training in chemistry and nutrition.
My point is that it isn’t a settled matter that artificial sweeteners are good for you.
"Good" is a relative term. Too much of anything can be bad for you. People die from drinking too much water. Artificial sweeteners are demonized by people with an agenda or those who don't really understand enough about chemistry, physiology and nutrition.
Diabetes - the culprit is corn sweetener.
You must be joking. Are you referring to corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup? HFCS is made up of the same two chemicals, in almost identical proportions, as regular old table sugar. Corn syrup is mostly glucose. How are either of these responsible for diabetes?
Its not sugar anymore, its corn; and, its terrible for you.
Corn is bad? Uh, ok. Why?
Its not just in the soda - its in bread, jelly, salad dressing, mayo, peanut butter, kids cereal, etc.
It's gotta be sweetened by something. If not sugar, then why not HFCS? Both are made up of glucose and fructose. Over the past 30 or so years, HFCS has replaced sugar on a nearly one-for-one basis. I still don't see how one can be bad for you while the other one isn't.
Why? Corn subsidy and sugar tariffs. Both parties are to blame - but gov tinkering has destroyed the american diet.
If we weren't protecting sugar we'd be eating sugar instead of HFCS and we'd still be getting glucose and fructose. Again, how can one be bad for you and the other not?
I just hate the idea of the government telling me what is healthy (and I reserve my right to be very skeptical of artificial sweeteners).
Government knows less than most but at least the FDA doesn't give in to the know nothing charlatans spreading their junk science. Feel free to be skeptical of artificial sweeteners but at least learn enough to understand why you harbor that skepticism.
I’ve had food with high fructose corn syrup in it and it didn’t taste like corn one bit. Which is too bad because I love corn.
It just is. Corn is evil.
Duh!
Give me 20 lbs of butter and some salt and I’ll battle that evil.
It's true, I'm guilty of knowing at least a little bit of science.
"I knew there was something evil in there! Can't be corn, cause corn is niiiice!"
Thanks for the ping!
I'd like to see a test where one group of lab mice gets the "cancer-causing" dose of an artificial sweetener, and the other group gets an equivalent quantity of refined white sugar.
Let's see which group lives longer.
**It lasted all of a year before it was repealed. This soda tax may pass but it will face the same fate..**
ONLY ONCE was a NY Tax Repealed or LOWERED ... and that was because of a MISTAKE made by the Assembly in NY. I need a bumbersticker saying:
NY... Can’t afford to LIVE HERE, Can’t afford to MOVE!
Tax Kool-Aid and watch the city burn.
**Aspartame is poison.**
Then I should have been dead 20 years ago...
I'm actually on board with that idea if it includes a tax cut. Maybe a cut in the vehicl licensing fee for SUVs...that'll really drive the nanny staters nuts.
I cared, and I’ve never smoked a single cig.
Social engineering has no place in a free society.
At least kittens aren’t full of trans fats and high fructose corn syrup.
How is it consistent with a free society for the government to make people live a certain approved lifestyle.
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