NY Bill Proposes Fat Tax On Games, DVDs, Junk Food

eldavojohn writes "GamePolitics is writing about a proposal to tax things that make your kids fat. The logic from its author: 'Almost all experts agree that the primary reasons [for the obesity epidemic] are increased consumption of larger quantities of high calorie foods, snacks and sugar sweetened beverages... and lack of physical activity as vigorous play is replaced by sedentary activities such as watching more television, movies and videos and playing video games. This bill would raise revenues from modest surcharges on the very food products and sedentary activities that are linked to the lifestyle changes involved in the explosion of childhood obesity in the last 20-30 years.' Not as explicit as Japan's fat tax but we're getting there."

Comments

Also a tax on Health care premiums

[eht]

Got a letter from my company's health insurance yesterday.

"Health care premiums will increase as a direct result of the State Legislature approving the Governor's proposed increases in taxes, fees and assessments on your health benefits on February 4, as part of his Deficit Reduction Plan."

So they're taxing both ends.

Re:Also a tax on Health care premiums

[Red Flayer]

Yes, but the increase in health care premiums is an indirect result of the insurance companies protecting their margins at all costs. They pass on their increased tax expense, and you pay higher premiums, so that their profits are not damaged -- only yours are. And you know what? You (or your employer) are willing to pay the extra cost.

The answer is to jump ship for another insurer with lower premiums. Oh, they're all raising rates? That's the joy of oligopoly.

Note: at a previous employer, I was able to negotiate a higher salary in exchange for not receiving medical benefits. I self-insured, and made out pretty well (my total cost was around 60% of the company's premium, but they paid me 75% of their premiums over base pay -- so we both saved money, even after employment taxes on the salary difference). My current employer offers nothing of the sort, so they're stuck paying high rates.

Re:Money Grab

[digitalunity]

I don't applaud the effort.

Let's tax loan officers instead because their industry causes great financial harm to the country.

Don't agree? Maybe that's because neither of these makes a lot of sense.

Re:Money Grab

[qbzzt]

It isn't about making people skinny, it's about paying for the additional medical costs incurred by obesity.

How is giving the state government money relevant? Does New York have socialized medicine?

Re:Nice idea, wrong approach

[Anonymous Coward]

While I'm not convinced anything is inherently evil about HFCS, without all those corn subsidies, the stuff wouldn't be so artifically cheap compared to cane.

I say drop the subsidies before taxing joe consumer.

Bit late for that now

[jimicus]

Have you ever even visited the US? Many areas are so thoroughly designed with the car in mind that attempting to walk, cycle or use public transport is downright impossible.

Re:How about taxing corn instead of sugar?

[vertinox]

But high-fructose corn syrup is about half glucose and about half fructose, just like regular table sugar. The fact that it is derived from corn doesn't magically make it evil somehow.

But why do the lab tests show that mice fed HFCS more obese than the ones fed normal sugar?

Re:Money Grab

[rock_climbing_guy]

For those of you in the northeast, I recommend shopping at "Wegman's" if Whole Foods is too high for you. I've lived all over the country and I've never seen a place with such a great selection of unprocess, raw, whole foods for such a reasonable cost.

Re:Money Grab

[Repossessed]

Um, ground beef's 3.50 a pound here. Thats for the cheapest (and fattiest) stuff.

That means if i want to match that one dollar fast food quarter pounder, I've spent 88 cents of it on meat, and haven't even payed for the bun. Sometimes I can make cheap burgers, when all the right things are on sale, but not often.

Re:Money Grab

[StopKoolaidPoliticsT]

Has nothing to do with convincing 50.1% of the population and everything to do with NY's budgeting system of "Three men in a room." The Governor (Democrat from NYC), Assembly Leader (Democrat from NYC) and State Senate Leader (Democrat from NYC) lock themselves in a room and emerge with the budget that will be passed by the state. Despite the Governor proposing a number of cuts in face of a $24 billion projected shortfall prior to entering the room, Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver demanded a budget 9.2% higher than last year's and got his way. It doesn't matter what the rest of the state wants, traditionally, regardless of whether there is a Republican Governor and Senate Leader or a Democrat one, Silver drives the budget. He's Assembly leader for life, rules his caucus with an iron fist, represents a district that will never elect anyone else and will not let his body vote on a budget that he doesn't approve of. Time and time again, Silver has shown he will put his own interests ahead of the rest of the state, often forcing budgets to become severely overdue unless the entire state caves and gives him the powers and programs he wants. Disagree with Silver on any issue, whether you're a D or R, and you will have your pet projects stripped from his budget.

NY's population remains powerless. We've got no citizen initiated referrendum or recall powers and due to the Assembly's power base in NYC, the opinion of the roughly 50% of the population in the rest of the state doesn't even matter. We're dictated to, not listened to. It's nothing short of a tyranny and is one of the driving causes in the hatred of NYC by the rest of the state.

Re:Money Grab

[Attila Dimedici]

Yeah, except the last time a Democrat was President of the U.S. didn't they burn done some compound in Texas because they wouldn't let the ATF in on a "child abuse" warrant? (hint: the ATF doesn't have jurisdiction in child abuse cases)

Re:Money Grab

[BlueStrat]

Yeah, except the last time a Democrat was President of the U.S. didn't they burn done some compound in Texas because they wouldn't let the ATF in on a "child abuse" warrant? (hint: the ATF doesn't have jurisdiction in child abuse cases)

Yeah, and how many ATF agents were killed & wounded?

I'm not sure the ATF really wants to play that type of scenario out in Texas on a large scale. They'd run out of agents long before Texas ran out of Texans or ammo. I don't think even the Democrats are nutty enough to start dropping MOABs or tactical nukes in the continental US on our own citizens.

Then again, I could be wrong. I didn't think they'd send in tanks and use incendiaries in Waco or shoot an unarmed woman with a baby in her arms at Ruby Ridge, either.

Funny how that works. Don't want to make radical Muslims that have attacked and killed Americans many many times and want to kill everyone that aren't them uncomfortable by yelling at them, but inconvenient citizens are open-season with a bulls-eye on their backs.

Interesting times, indeed.

Strat