The story states that The Center for Science in the Public Interest is lobbying to add an excise tax to sugared drinks because they conducted a study in which they found that states -- including California -- whose budgets are strapped can generate up to $10 billion a year by adding a 7 cent tax per 12 ounce can of soda or any other beverage. They also believe that raising the prices would reduce consumption, and as a result reduce obesity (considering that many studies were conducted proving the correlation of sugared drinks and the disease) and skyrocketing medical costs. However, people who disagree with the tax see the tax as a sort of intrusion on people's personal choice, believing that the tax would come off as controlling people's dietary choices.
I find the article free of any biases. It's not a very controversial topic, and even though the matter has sides, the journalist did not disclose his opinion on the news. Politics aren't really my thing, nor is lobbying for taxes, but it does make sense to put a tax on sodas. If it helps raise money which will help the budget deficit, then yeah, that's fine. It's not as though soda is a super major thing like adding a tax on the very precious polluted air we breathe. I suppose it's also somewhat of the same concept as the tax placed on cigarettes and alcohol. Plus, if it reduces consumption, it can definitely help with the ever increasing health problems that are pestering Americans. It's funny how the cheapest things could cause the most debilitating problems in a person's life. Like sex. Sex is cheap, and it causes such a pain in the ass when done wrongly or stupidly. However, there are instances when sex is definitely NOT cheap... but I digress.
So my point being: I guess I wouldn't mind the tax being imposed; I'm not a big soda drinker anyway. I prefer water. :D. Do they have a tax on that one too?
The idea of the "sin tax" makes sense in that if larger health problems arise from certain "sins," then those consumers can pay into a fund to research combating those ailments (like diabetes for sugared drinks). But I wonder if it's okay for one segment of the population to be overburdened with tax to make up for a deficit in the general fund. Shouldn't all of us be responsible for fixing this problem?
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