San Francisco’s Mayor Proposes Fee on Sales of Sugary Soft Drinks
In a move he says is necessary to trim the city’s waistline, the decidedly slim mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, has proposed charging big stores a fee when they sell sugar-sweet soda.The proposal, which was reported by The San Francisco Chronicle on Monday, would put an as yet-to-be-defined surcharge on all drinks with high-fructose corn syrup, which puts the sweet pop in most nondiet sodas and many other food products. The syrup also puts on the pounds, something city officials say strains the health care system.
“There’s a well-established nexus between obesity, which is caused by high-fructose corn syrup, and the increased health care costs for the city,” said Nathan Ballard, a spokesman for the mayor. Money raised by the fee would be spent on a variety of anti-obesity programs in the city, said Mr. Ballard, including Shape Up SF, which challenges residents here to exercise.
Soft-drink makers, however, called the mayor’s plan a “flawed strategy” that would have little effect on the city’s figure.
OK,
this is a weird thing.
If you look back 100/50 years or so, you will find something interesting. you will probably see ALOT before and after WW1.
That the foods we eat are PURER..interesting world but close enough.
We HAD more bulk and fiber in our diets, STUFF that made us feel FULL. Our foods have changed ALOT. And the BIG companies make GOOD money selling you 2-3 types of the ORIGINAL material that USED to be 1.
Seed crops..in nature, you eat the Seed and the out side is digested and the KERNEL is passed thru. WELL, in the current times we TAKE OFF the outside husk, and we use it for OTHER things. And the company ends up getting 10+ times the worth from the product. Look in the cereal isle.
If it’s bad for us, and the government really cared, they’d ban it rather than tax it. Otherwise, it’s just another “Sin” Tax.
That’s fricking sick. Also, the tax is dumb.
Go ahead. It won’t help much.
Also, that’s a bad photoshop job.
This is America – supposedly the land of the free. But with the nutroots in places like San Francisco, they are deciding what we can and cannot do. What’s next? Will they tax peoples’ thoughts especially the ones who are not politically correct?
Jings, I hope that’s a Photoshop job. The tan lines are a giveaway, true, but still… the horror…
Where did you get this picture of my mom? Now you know why I have stretch marks on my cheeks.
Her obesity is locked up in her titties
and yes, its been shop’d
We’ll pay $4 for a 16 oz cup of coffee. I don’t think a couple more pennies per soda will prevent anyone from drinking just as much.
I don’t even eat any more.
I just have cases of Pepsi delivered to the spot next to my recliner that hasn’t yet been soiled by my own feces.
Sweet empty calories.
My point is that this tax would put an undue and unfair burden on me financially. It fundamentally discriminates against my chosen lifestyle.
-Brad
http://www.clashofculture.com
Fuck it. Just take all my money and tie my ass to a grindstone. Yeah right. Go fuck yourself silly Mr. Newsance.
Someone asked Eric Clapton what was his gateway drug and his answer was “sugar.”
If you are anti-sugar tax, at least recognize the central issues are no different than with other drugs other than the fact they are keeping it legal.
Why should society not act to discourage damaging substances?
I’m anti tax. Newsance flawed rationalizing is not sound reasoning. There have been studies showing that diet soda’s cause cancer in rats but yet he loves diet soda. That’s healthy. Really, I don’t care what you eat or drink I’m not going pay for your health; I’ll make sure of that.
Putting additional taxes on cigarettes hasn’t gotten people to quit smoking, what makes them think that taxing soda will make people cut back on it?
Seems like just another way to raise money from people’s habits to me.
San Francisco residents are already healthier, better looking and thinner than the rest of America.
This is just a long term strategy to keep SF the most attractive city just in case alabama decides to get off its collective fatt butt and decide to exercise.
#17, Rick,
Sorry, but it would take a lot more than exercise to help Alabama. Some dental restoration, some good dermatologists, and whole heapen of plastic surgery.
instead of taxing “sweets” which in this debate seems to be the cause of obesity we should take a look into the 2 leading causes of obesity. High Fructose Corn Syrup, (HFCS) which is found most notably in soda products, but also creep their way into gatorade, health food bars, cereals, pop tarts, granola bars. We should limit, if not ban the use of HFCS in our foods, or at least create a symbol to make it clear that a product contains HFCS, so that people who are trying to eat healthy can clearly know what to stay away from. The Second problem we have is lack of physical activity. Gym memberships should become tax deductible. Business establishments should provide incentives to employees who utilize the fitness facilities in their area. Those incentives could include lower health insurance payments, better equipment in lounge areas, etc. There should also be major restrictions on convienance foods such as fast-food, mini-marts, and vending machines. America is fat, because it is easy to be fat. It is too hard to try to grab a healthy meal on the go, or in the lunch room at the office.