Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha
But what exactly is the "better good of society," or who determines what that is? If some fat guy wants to stuff his face and die of a heart attack by age 35, that's his perogative. Likewise, if some idiot wants to smoke himself to an early grave, that's also his choice.
I see no difference between taxing fast food at 150% (so you're typical value meal will cost about $12.50) and taxing cigarettes at 150%. Both are unhealthy. No one needs to smoke and no one NEEDS to eat fast food. Both are supposedly costing taxpayers money. And by the way, I oppose both such taxes.
|
I'd support both such taxes and here's why:
Both products create health problems which are obvious; emphysema, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure which can lead to stroke. All of those medical conditions tend to strike the elderly, and if you follow the money, the federal government pays immense medical benefits (in the form of Medicare) to seniors as a direct result of these diseases. Citizens who smoke and regularly eat fatty foods are much more likely to cost the federal government a lot of coin after their 65th birthday. Taxes on these products help ensure that the people consuming these products are doing more to subsidize the cost of their medical treatment.
No, this tax revenue does not go directly to the Medicare program. But it has a fiscal domino effect. This cigarrette tax revenue goes to fund government programs or reduce the federal deficit, meaning the government does not need to raise Medicare tax rates, or raise income taxes on the rest of us. Ultimately, the smokers end up paying more into the take-a-penny, leave-a-penny jar, and that's the way it should be, because at the end of their lives they're taking quarters and dollars while the rest of us are taking pennies.
This tax isn't about philosophy and trying to dictate behavior. You're dreaming if you think people pass tax laws to affect human behavior. They do it for one reason: money. Specifically, making sure the nation is aligning the inflows and outflows fairly.