'Fat tax' urged for video games, TV ads

[RyanM]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Fiveohhh
I can see taxing cigs, everyone that buys them smokes, but not everyone that watches tv, eats fast food, or play video games is fat.

😕

Didn't think that through much, did you?

"Not everyone who smokes gets sick, not everyone who eats junk food and plays video games gets fat." <--proper comparison.

The fact is, less than 1/3 of smokers ever suffer from smoking related diseases. So taxing cigarettes is just as stupid as this tax will be.

Better bet: Just tax fat people and people who have smoking related diseases. Even BETTER bet: Stop all social programs, and no one will have to worry about paying for what other people are doing to their bodies.

OMG, what a crazy idea?

Are you suggesting we scap.....SOCIALISM?

*GASP*

😉

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: mugsywwiii

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: mugsywwiii


Edit: the set of all junk food items == the set of all non-necessity food items, at least in NJ. The only taxed food that isn't junk food is prepared food, like you mentioned.

Because "junk food" is prepared food.

No, food that you get at a restaurant is prepared food... pre-packaged food is not prepared food. I mean, preparation is required for bread, and that isn't taxed... The only foods that are taxed are junk food, and cooked food.

There are levels of prepared food, and what is considered a necessity. A candy bar is prepared. The ingredients to make it are not.

People are not expected to bake bread anymore, but they are expected to make a sandwich.

Tell me, are frozen meals exempt? If so, you may have a point, if not, I do.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Amused

For the life of me, I can never understand why people agree to added taxes on ANYTHING. Video games makes no sense to you because that's your bull being gored. No one complains when it's the other guy being taxed, but tax him, and you'll hear screams.

Taxing junk food will do nothing to curb obesity. Hell, most people get fat on healthy foods like bread, and startches.

If you want the truth, taxing the internet, video games and TV makes FAR more sense than select foods IF you're going to tax the cause of obesity. The same candy, pop and fast food existed 30 years ago, yet the obesity rate was low and flat. Why? people were active. The obesity epidemic followed right along with the advent of video games, the internet, and 100s of TV channels.

Why should I be forced to avoid extra taxes on anything?

Actually, I do eat junk food, but I don't play video games. The way I look at it is this - the government needs to cover their budget one way or another. Whether they do it through sales taxes, income taxes, road tolls, whatever - the same amount of money needs to be raised. And it makes more sense to tax the things that create expenses - tax gasoline and charge road tolls to pay for building and maintaining roads, etc. NOW, do I wish the government worked more efficiently? Yes. Do I wish there was less pork in the federal budget? Heck yeah - far less federal tax dollars are spent in New Jersey than New Jerseyans pay in taxes, while states like Mississippi and Indiana receive way more money than they pay in. And do I think spending $1 MILLION dollars will make one lick of difference in obesity in New York state? Not likely. And I'm not sure they should have the obesity prevention program. But if they ARE, then junk food taxes would be a better way to go about raising the money for it than raising sales tax across the board, or raising income taxes. The fact is, there's no way this will get through the legislature.

If they want to reduce obesity, they ought to start in Kindergarten... physical education that involves more than just playing dodge-ball. Oh yeah, dodge-ball isn't allowed anymore, it hurts kids self-esteem. :/

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Amused

Tell me, are frozen meals exempt? If so, you may have a point, if not, I do.

As far as I know, frozen meals are not taxed... but if you buy a frozen burrito at a convenience store where you will most likely pop it in the store's microwave and eat it in your car... it is taxed. Weird, yes.

Edit: that's based on my recollection from when I worked at a convenience store in NJ... like 4 years ago. I could be wrong.

 

[Occifer]

video games != obesity

junk food != obesity

America is a free country, feel free to eat yourself to death. One day I will either drink or smoke myself to death, I have accepted that fact, everyone else should do the same. It is not the governments, or the taxpayers job to pay for what you have done to yourself.