Posted on 05/12/2009 2:35:48 AM PDT by PghBaldy
Senate leaders are considering new federal taxes on soda and other sugary drinks to help pay for an overhaul of the nation's health-care system.
The taxes would pay for only a fraction of the cost to expand health-insurance coverage to all Americans and would face strong opposition from the beverage industry. They also could spark a backlash from consumers who would have to pay several cents more for a soft drink.
On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee is set to hear proposals from about a dozen experts about how to pay for the comprehensive health-care overhaul that President Barack Obama wants to enact this year. Early estimates put the cost of the plan at around $1.2 trillion. The administration has so far only earmarked funds for about half of that amount.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based watchdog group that pressures food companies to make healthier products, plans to propose a federal excise tax on soda, certain fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and ready-to-drink teas. It would not include most diet beverages. Excise taxes are levied on goods and manufacturers typically pass them on to consumers.
Senior staff members for some Democratic senators at the center of the effort to craft health-care legislation are weighing the idea behind closed doors, Senate aides said.
The Congressional Budget Office, which is providing lawmakers with cost estimates for each potential change in the health overhaul, included the option in a broad report on health-system financing in December. The office estimated that adding a tax of three cents per 12-ounce serving to these types of sweetened drinks would generate $24 billion over the next four years. So far, lawmakers have not indicated how big a tax they are considering.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
This tax proposal includes Gatorade as well.
_______________
They are so out of control it’s laughable and where is the outrage. It’s time for more drastic measures. Griping on FR just isn’t cutting it. We have to join together and figure out a way to stop this or either get used to working to send our money to DC. Another option, sell it all, get out now.
I think you're "righter" than you know. I've been hearing a lot of chatter from folks, especially Europeans about how there are just too many people on earth now. It's not enough to reduce reproduction rates, we need less people now. I honestly think that someone somewhere wants to reduce the number of people--through disease, war and chaos, etc.--because it will be much easier to take control with less people. I'm uneasy about the mutterings and the decidedly evil nature of men's hearts that is working its way to the surface...
Plus, they may hate poor people, but it is educated people they will come after if these people really do grab the power they seem to want.
So it is written! So it is done!! All hail Lord HolyO!!!
/sarc
[clueless on, after finding a loaf of bread costing $10 each and a can of coca cola $5 each in the very near future]
“This is all that !%$^%&^& Bush’s fault!!! Why did he get us into this mess!!! Poor President HolyO, may the goddess grant him patience as he tries to untangle this mess he inherited from the previous administration! The NYTimes and MSNBC are sooo right—that evil Bush has just RUINED America!!! No wonder the lines at the free health care clinic are sooooo long! All those people are getting sick because of Bush too!!”
[clueless off]
I’ll join you. The only monitor I watch is my ‘puter screen.
______________
SHHHHHHHHHHH huge computer taxes next. A fee to the government to be able to own a computer and a big tax when you buy one.
Bottled water? Drinking water? Toilet flushing water?
Time for a new symbol. Let's kill the R because it stands for Rino anyway, let's start using C for Conservative --> Frogjerk(C-NJ)
It’s time for another Tea Party. About 50 times as big. Start talking it up now. July 4th.
hese f-ing Communists have gone too far this time. Maybe the sheople will wake-up
_____________
I thought the cigarette tax would cause a firestorm since 50% or more didn’t even know it was coming. It didn’t. That paved the way for them to tax just about anything else. It think the majority of the people have turned into blind, mindless, sheep.
Uh.... have you checked your cable bill lately?
Sure - we could all be taxed by the "BMI Bracket." Which, of course, will drop lower and lower every year until only the anorexic runway models are the ones not paying the Body Mass Index tax.
Obama’s extreme social engineering.
Get use to it.
Has anyone ever seen Obama eat bacon?
_______________
No and you never will. I defy anyone to post a picture if him eating pork. You find a picture of him positively eating pork, I will donate 100. immediately to FR.
Sure looks like price gouging to me. Of course that can’t really be happening in the Big O’s hometown now can it? ***
'the Big O’s hometown' of Chi now has the highest taxes in the nation (yes, even higher than NYC). This is from the combination of Chicago taxes and mostly, Crook County taxes.
The Crook County Board (controlled by Chi Dems) looks at the Chi suburbs in its clutches as Cash Cows. Where they can rape those citizens for pet projects in Chicago. A few of the suburbs have even talked of seceding from Crook County.
And yep, the profit that could be made from Cigs is 'HUGH'. The Mob (or a 'mob') wouldn't even have to hijack any trucks. First buy them legally and then re-sell them in Chi 'out of a car trunk', or under the counter from a Bar they control.
We fled Chi and Cook County for DuPage County in '75 when we got married. But friggen Daley keeps trying to get his sticky fingers into other counties, and citizens bank accounts, through his puppets in Springfield.
who funds .orgs this this?
Another tax on the poor...
HFCS is evil, evil I tell ya!!
That stuff is literally in EVERYTHING (if you don’t believe me, check the ingredients on everything you buy next time at the grocery store and you’ll be horrified and amazed) and is O WHAT A SURPRISE is government sanctioned to be added to everything...guess what? Highly addictive, raises cholesterol levels, causes migraines, weight gain, etc. the list goes on and on. Plain old sugar is much better for you than that HFCS crap! But oooooooohhh, it tastes sooooo good, give me more!!
>:-(
Some companies have realized that there is a market out there for people who WON’T buy the HFCS added stuff, and slowly but surely are making products for us—Pepperidge Farm products for the most part are HFCS-free, but it still sneaks in sometimes, so you have to be very vigilant.
Nothing makes me angrier than to see those pro-HFCS commercials on tv proclaiming arrogantly that it causes no harm IN MODERATION—again, check as many products at the grocery store as you have time for next time you go, it’s in practically EVERYTHING—but the HFCS lobby is really pushing this stuff hard...do a google search and their website pops up first ‘debunking’ all the bad things about it.
Yeah, right. After dealing with multiple health issues over the years, then having them disappear when I stopped eating and drinking things with HFCS in it—just anecdotal but I’m a believer! Sugar and honey are just fine for me and my family!
[/rant off, sorry!]
John Stossel said a few years ago when the BMI was adjusted or made into the holy identifier of health that about 3,000,000 Americans became overweight overnight.
They will soon tax the Bejeezus out of bottled water. The excuse will be the environment.
Preach on! I’ve been trying to push this message for years. The fructose causes sharp rise in insulin levels which lead to deposition of fat. This and lack of physical activity is what is making kids fat.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.