Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Congress Weighs Soda Tax
"With health care reform expected to run the government around $1.2 trillion, Congress is looking for ways to pay for it. A new idea bouncing around Capitol Hill is a soda tax, reports the Wall Street Journal. “Soda is clearly one of the most harmful products in the food supply, and it's something government should discourage the consumption of,” says a public interest advocate."
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Thanks for the pointer! It's good to see some numbers in the article.
ReplyDeleteIt sure seems like an awfully small amount to be gained (24 billion in three years) as compared to what nationalized health care system would cost. Also - if we are truly concerned about the health effects of sodas, then how about discussing the health effects of chronic shortages of certain services, which would unquestionably arise under a nationalized system?
We might as well tax tooth-ferry related revenue to raise tax revenue, or tax fast driving or sneezing to curb dangerous behavior? :)
I think that some sort of a broader increase in consumption tax is coming soon either in a form of higher sales tax or possibly a value added tax.