Comments about ‘Tax junk food, tobacco’

Amen. Or at least exempt fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products from the tax.

When people get taxed out of them were will the revenue go?

Better than simply taxing all food.

So, "Ann Jones" is saying that she or somebody like her should be in charge of the diets of the poor.

So, her solution is to make junk food become a luxury item that the poor cannot afford. The taxes will cut the demand for junk food, which in turn will cut the number of jobs needed to produce it, which will then put more people out of work.

Sounds like a lose-lose situation.

How about we educate people, perhaps in a school setting, about how to prepare quick and nutritious meals. We could also educate welfare workers on nutrition and have them work with those on welfare to improve their eating habbits. Wouldn't that be easier than destroying jobs?

While we're at it, let's double the tax on video games, television sets and computers. People sit in front of them and avoid exercise. And cell phones, how much time is taken up just texting and talking? Add more taxes onto them, too. I'm sure there are all kinds of things we could put a tax on to make everyone more lean, beautiful and healthier. Why stop there? It's for everyone's own good, right? Plus, it benefits our poverty-stricken governments. It's a win-win, right? Right?

by all means, but the rise in obesity in the poor has nothing to do with the price of various foods. Healthy food is not more expensive. I watch the shopping carts of the food stamp people and the obese, it is piled with expensive prepared foods. We haven't bought cookies, candies, crackers, prepared foods in decades. Our food bill for fruits, vegetables, brown rice, oatmeals and muselis and lean meats is actually quite modest. You do have to make the effort to cook.

A penny a soda and a nickel a burger.

Just do it. Voila, no more deficit.

"Nutritious food is expensive...For people of limited income, it is out of their reach."

Huh? I work for a non-profit agency and could easily describe my income as limited. In spite of this "setback", I've personally lost around 75 pounds in the last six months by exercising about 30 minutes a day and switching out junk food for more fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, skim milk, and fruit juices.

And where do I do the bulk of my food shopping? The Albertsons' down the street. By doing some clever shopping and taking advantage of sales, I actually spend a little less than I did before.

Don't let anybody tell you that fitness is expensive. Show some patience and diligence and work with what you have, and you can accomplish an awful lot.

Problem solved....

Here's an idea: food stamps should only buy staples. You can buy ground beef/turkey, flour, sugar, milk, eggs and fresh fruits and vegetables with your food stamps. Since those people don't have jobs they should have plenty of time to figure out how to cook for themselves. It makes me angry when I see people using food stamps to buy luxury food items and prepared foods that I can't afford because so much of my money goes to paying taxes.

Lets say I go out and buy some bananas but I don't buy them to eat, I buy them to make banana bread, banana milk shakes, banana cookies, banana fritters etc. Many nutritionists would say that I have turned the bananas into "junk" food. So are you going to tax my bananas more because of the way I intend to use them? Do you see how absurd this is? I see eating healthy food as an investment of money, time and energy. I shop sales. I buy in bulk. I rarely eat out and I manage to spend about $500 a month for a family of 6, 2 adults, 2 teens and 3 under age 8.

Foolish people demand that "others" be taxed. When taxes are used for social reform, then only the politicians benefit. The politicians can always find some noisy group to placate. They can always find some popular cause to exploit.

Rational people know that some limited taxation is required to allow a community to function properly. Sensible citizens approve of limited taxes to ensure that they and their neighbors are able to carry out their personal responsibilities without confusion, i.e. it's better to collectively hire a snowplow to remove the snow than to arrest every citizen who didn't plow the street in front of his house and business by 8:00 a.m.

Taxing unequally is irresponsible. We have no right to demand that a 'sin' tax be levied against any person or anything purchased by any person. That is social engineering. That is un-American.

I like how my cigarettes already cost a fortune and it's still not enough for you people. I won't rest until EVERYTHING cost 5 times as much because of taxes.