Taxing our food: Is this really all that productive?
In NY State the governor is proposing a 15% obesity tax on sugared sodas. In Alabama, there is a proposal to put a tax on livestock due to methane gas they produce. The soda doesn't really bother me, except that it does set up a slippery slope. The livestock tax concerns me and the future of smaller farmers. Yes, really, really small farms won't have to pay, but what about the little guy who happens to have 26 dairy cows instead of twentyfive?
Who thinks up this stuff? Aren't there better ways to deal with obesity or methane production?
Read about them here, or go to the reply below where the links should work:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3961e7aa-cb14-11dd-87d7-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iSklPDE9hZwHP3EXsezjC_wjuRLgD94SE64G0
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17 Comments:
Here are the clickable links:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3961e7aa-cb14-11dd-87d7-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iSklPDE9hZwHP3EXsezjC_wjuRLgD94SE64G0
dhorst at 2:15PM on 12/18/08
The governor of NY has a commentary on the obesity tax on CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/18/paterson.obesity/index.html
Are his concerns legitimate?
dhorst at 2:46PM on 12/18/08
Huh. That's.... special. I think it's silly. Look at the insane taxes on cigarettes, and how many people still smoke. How many more people are addicted to caffeine in soda, or just couldn't imagine going without? Of course, that's the point, but meh. I don't like this.
nightowl at 2:56PM on 12/18/08
I think them idiot lawmakers better worry more on the economy than soda and cow farts
Markbb at 3:26PM on 12/18/08
I know LOTS of people who quit smoking when they moved to NYC where per-pack taxes double the price. Soda has NO nutritional value and in fact is extremely detrimental to one's health. There's no reason it shouldn't be taxed like cigarettes or alcohol. Our states certainly need the revenue.
producestories at 3:31PM on 12/18/08
Also: methane from food production contributes a significant percentage of the greenhouse gases that are causing global warming. It's funny to say "cow farts" until you do some research and realize that the contribution to global warming by the meat industries is massive.
producestories at 3:32PM on 12/18/08
Soda tax doesn't flip my lid, but livestock tax does. Maybe that's just because I'm from farm country though *shrug*. But if you're going to tax soda, why glorify the diet stuff? It's still crap!
joyyy at 3:42PM on 12/18/08
"Aren't there better ways to deal with obesity or methane production?"
Suggest some other, better ways.
ccbweb at 8:56PM on 12/18/08
Um, there's no global warming guys....all this crap is just a huge money-grab by the guvment. The nanny state is not really trying to protect you, but is an excuse to take away even more of your and my hard-earned money. Sorry to be politically incorrect. But it's the truth.
Chef Jo at 9:26PM on 12/18/08
@ccbweb~ there are certainly many other, better ways to deal with obesity and/or methane production. Just a few off the top--I will certainly post some hard facts for you tomorrow when I'm not spending some time with my family, but here's the short summary:
Obesity--25 years ago kids were much more active in schools during phys. ed. and recess in particular; daily was the requirement when I was in school. Let's see that happen again. It's now three days a week for phys. ed. and daily for outdoor recess (and when the weather is too cold--under 25, they can play gym hockey in the gym.) And the three days a week is up from once a week due to parents and school nurses and P.E. teachers speaking up with their concerns.
Also, we do have the Edible School Yard programs to use as a basis for good eating, sustainablility, and well, great education for our kids in the classroom. Many programs throughout the U.S. may not be charters, but certainly apply the same philosophies that are the benchmark of Alice Water's Edible School Yard. And for those of you who are NYS residents, please take note of Cornell University's Kids Growing Food program. There are grants available to those schools who meet the qualifications.
Methane: There are farmers out there who are producing enough electricity to power their entire farm and more from harnessing the energy produced from methane gas. Less smell, more energy. I will post more detailed info. But, honestly, I was trying to see what was out there regarding legislation and what happens with our food. Response ccbweb?
dhorst at 9:34PM on 12/18/08
@joyyy - I'm from an agricultural area too (in fact my highschool boyfriend lived on a dairy farm) - but I know that CAFOs pollute a lot. They should come up with a way to minimize the impact on small farmers for sure.
I'm with you on soda - diet should be taxed if the sugar stuff is taxed. I just don't think the science showing that diet soda is just as likely to lead to obesity (and can possibly cause neurological damage as well as lots of other health problems) is quite mainstream enough yet.
producestories at 10:46PM on 12/18/08
I work at the NYC health dept and we're big supporters of this. I have lots of data on how much sugar consumption has increased over the past few decades, particularly among children, and how much of it comes from sugar-sweetened beverages. It's a lot, a disgusting amount, in fact.
Anecdote: I saw a very obese 6 year old girl walking down the street the other day...and she was holding a 64 ounce Big Gulp from 7-11. I guarantee you that cup wasn't filled with water. Maybe this is an extreme example, but kids these days are accustomed to drinking soda, sports drinks, flavored drinks, etc, instead of WATER.
Sure, the tax might be "unfair" to those of us who know how to control our intake, but is it fair that we have to pay the health care costs for others who don't know how to do so? Think about that. Wouldn't you rather pay the extra 15-20 cents (it's actually an 18% tax) every now and then (because you consume soda in moderation, not every day!) instead of having to pay insanely high insurance premiums that end up treating diabetes, heart disease, etc?
I could go on forever about this but I'll stop for now. :)
charm city cupcake at 11:31PM on 12/18/08
@dhorst: I was being serious but not trying to be combative. I think its disingenuous and unhelpful to write "Who thinks up this stuff? Aren't there better ways...?" without offering anything or suggesting anything or pointing out any of the problems one has with the proposals as made. I don't need (and didn't ask for) "hard facts." This is a blog-based site about food, not a doctoral level course. The suggestions you made in your follow up sound like good ones to me. They also sound like they need funding. It could be that something like the soda tax could be used to help fund such programs and really get things off and running in a good direction.
ccbweb at 6:51PM on 12/19/08
FYI folks, the tax isn't only on soda, it's on sugar-sweetened beverages, with the exception of drinks that contain more than 70% juice. So this also includes sports drinks, fruit drinks, iced teas, etc. This is why diet soda isn't included - because it does not contain sugar.
charm city cupcake at 9:09AM on 12/20/08
shouldn't this thread have it''s own section? anyone what steak? lol
dearrie at 9:25AM on 12/20/08
For some, ignorance is bliss.
dhorst at 7:53AM on 12/21/08
It seems to me that instead of focusing so much on making people pay more for soda, we should be making decent, healthy food more affordable. Even Governor Patterson mentioned in his CNN commentary that good fruits and vegetables are more expensive than, say, potato chips. So the solution is... to make some foods more expensive? It just seems more like punishment than a solution. You interested in shunning fat kids, or making them healthier?
And if anyone goes off on that whole, "poor people should eat rice and beans every day of their lives" stuff, I will scream.
BangieB at 4:06PM on 12/27/08