Taxing soda to pay for healthcare

[country mom]

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5192360n&tag=mg;eveningnews

It's an interesting thought- a tax on soda pop (non-diet). Not a bad idea, IMHO, but then, I'm also a diabetes educator and think pop usage is a plague, not to mention what it does to teeth. But seriously, I'm not even 40 yet, but I don't remember that much pop being around when I was a kid. A whole grocery aisle just for pop! And most convenience stores have like, a small shelf for milk, and 4 whole coolers for pop/energy drinks. I know it's like cigarettes, the die-hards are going to buy it no matter what, but I guess I'd rather they tax the pop than take more money out of my paycheck.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

if the do, they had best tax it all, that diet crap is just not any better for you

[llg, PhD, RN]

I'd support it ... like they tax cigarettes ... and alcohol.

[elkpark]

AND ... there are already TV commercials urging us to fight this proposal. Surprised??

[RN4MERCY]

AND ... there are already TV commercials urging us to fight this proposal. Surprised??

Not really surprised because I don't think "sin taxes" are a good way to fund health care; such taxes don't provide a reliable source of funding for social services. We need responsible public policy. Who's sponsoring the commercials? Probably some front group for the insurance industry who doesn't want reform because it threatens their ability to make a profit at the expense of people who need health care. Wake up and see this for what it is; a cunning strategy on the part of industry insiders and their handmaiden politicians to get the soft drink, distilled spirits and the American beverage manufacturer's association to use their profits to fight reform. Such legislators are playing the "influence game"; a smoke and mirrors approach-threatening to legislate HIGHER TAXES on products mobilizes the industry to launch these attacks.

[elkpark]

Not really surprised because I don't think "sin taxes" are a good way to fund health care; such taxes don't provide a reliable source of funding for social services. We need responsible public policy. Who's sponsoring the commercials? Probably some front group for the insurance industry who doesn't want reform because it threatens their ability to make a profit at the expense of people who need health care. Wake up and see this for what it is; a cunning strategy on the part of industry insiders and their handmaiden politicians to get the soft drink, distilled spirits and the American beverage manufacturer's association to use their profits to fight reform. Such legislators are playing the "influence game"; a smoke and mirrors approach-threatening to legislate HIGHER TAXES on products mobilizes the industry to launch these attacks.

I'm not surprised, and I do understand what's going on -- that was my point ... :) I just find it amusing that this has become such a ritualistic, standard feature of our political process (proposal made --> commercials to stir up public against it on the air within hours of the proposal first being made) that we can all (anyone who's been paying attention, that is) can even predict the language and images that will be used on the "anti" commercials.