New Jersey Lawmakers Debate Fast Food Tax
In a way I find this funny. New Jersey lawmakers are pondering a “sin” tax on fast food. This is the type of thing that I have been warning about for some time. The government has gotten away with taxing smokers for so long that it was only a matter of time before they spread their taxation into other categories that they have decided aren’t good for you. Non-smokers have often laughed when the tobacco taxes are raised time and time again. They say “fuck them, they shouldn’t smoke anyway.” As a non-smoker I have never laughed at raising tobacco taxes, or any taxes for that matter. I have seen this coming.
some lawmakers in New Jersey are considering taking food taxes a step further and install a proverbial “sin” tax on fast food.
Yes, the idea of marking up your favorite fast food burger or pack of fries is actually being tossed around,
This would be an additional fast food tax on top of food taxes that are already being paid. This is what happens when the government decides that they can tax behaviors that they find harmful to a person in the guise of doing it for the person’s own good. Sure, it started with smokers, but it was only a matter of time before it spread to alcohol and foods. What will be next?
“I think this country has gone too much in the direction of fast and unhealthy food, and if people are taxed they may terminate that and turn toward more healthy foods,” said West Orange resident Maureen Felix.
That is the perfect example of the mentality that the nanny staters are relying on. Good ole Maureen thinks it is perfectly acceptable to tax a behavior that she doesn’t like. It really isn’t Maureen’s business what a person decides to eat, it isn’t anybody’s business what someone decides to eat, and it sure as hell isn’t the governments business what someone eats. If I want to eat three Big Macs a day, that is my business, I know the risks, if I chose to take them, so what. I am responsible for my own actions, I don’t need the government taxing me so that I will eat better.
This whole notion of taxing people to dissuade a certain activity is a fallacy anyway, they don’t care if you rectify your “bad behavior” or not, they simply want your money. Bottom line. New Jersey is just looking for a way to raise more revenue to pay for programs that they can’t afford. Instead of cutting programs there is no money for, which would be the responsible thing to do, they simply put more of a tax burden on the people. In a time with soaring gas prices, when food prices are rising because we are trying to make fuel out of our food, and during an economic downturn, the Democrats in New Jersey are thinking about hurting the working class people even more.
I did mention that New Jersey was run by Democrats, right?
America's Watchtower 
For the most part I abhor most taxes beyond the absolutely essential. However, taxing things like smoking, alcohol, and fast food only seems logical. As long as people want to treat their bodies like crap, get sick, and then want the government to pay for it, then I support the government asking for them to pay for it themselves or stop doing it. Its only logical. I’d support increases on taxes of all those things. Yeah- it might be a tax on what the poor eat, but the poor are eating up my taxes. Poor or not, people should take some responsibility upon themselves to treat their bodies well and stop asking everyone else to pay for the consequences. As far as the argument that its what the government sees as being unhealthy for you… thats just a load of crap. Anyone with half a brain knows that smoking, alcohol, and fast food lead to diseases, which cost money to treat.
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That was a poor choice of words on my part about what the government sees as unhealthy fo you. I know those things are bad for you, I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.
I agree with one point you made, it is time for people to take reponsibility upon themselves to treat their bodies right. However I don’t agree that if they refuse to that the government should then try to force them to by taxing them.
What’s next, coffee? Then what? It keeps going on and on.
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I got a job Brad and I am still considered poor. It is not the poor that is the cause of our problems. It is the laziness of everyone. People who are lazy have health problems they are on all kinds of government programs and a number of other diffrent things. Smoking ALONE does not lead to cancer. It is a number of other factors like genetics, diet, staying in shape, and you get the idea. The bottom line is the government has no right to do what is being done and this fast food tax is one example of their attempt to fill in the gaps in their costly budget. Does anybody remember one of the reasons we fought for our independence from England? This country has become a fascist country and I am honestly getting sick of it. What do you like to eat , drink, or do Brad maybe the government could tax it?
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