So, now all soft drinks (non diet) and juice drinks that are less than 70% real juice will be taxed 18%. The governor likens this to the supposed success of the cigarette tax. There are several flaws I see in this argument. Of course, my regular readers realize how I feel about the subject of being obese in America. And, don't get me wrong. I cringe when I see kids drinking soft drinks.
1. The obese are "taxed" enough in this country by the onslaught of stigmatization they face on a daily basis. (Kids included)
2. You cannot govern personal behavior. To say that the cigarette tax is the ONLY reason that smoking has declined does not take into account the change in attitudes toward smoking and smokers in this country. People will still drink alcohol, smoke and drink regular coke even if they pay a higher tax.
3. What about the junk food in the schools and the crap food that parents are serving them at home?
4. What about parents who use the T.V. as their babysitter and have kids who NEVER go outside and actually play??
5. How about not taking P.E. class time out of the schools so the kids can spend useless time trying to pass standardized tests that don't really measure learning?
6. How about teaching our children moderation. How about parenting them and saying "no" when they need to hear it. (This would probably be good in areas other than eating as well!)
So, in my opinion, this is just another useless tax that will do little to change the actual problem of childhood obesity. Parents need to parent. Parents have to teach their kids moderation and slap their hand once in a while when they get in the cookie jar one too many times. The government cannot solve this problem. This problem will only be solved in the homes of America when we decide it's time to take personal responsibility and govern ourselves.
a.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment