New Jersey lawmakers considering 'sin' tax on fast food

[FrankRep]

New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Tax On Fast Food
'Sin' Tax Could Help Fund Struggling Hospitals

CBS
Apr 30, 2008


The sputtering economy has caused an increase in prices of many staples including gasoline, rice, ice cream, even beer. Now 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, and it's not settling well with many residents.

"They're taxing everything. Now you're gonna tax fast food? That's crazy," said Newark resident Miriam Robertson.

Added Livingston resident Tina Abrahamian: "No one wants to be taxed. I mean, it's a necessity to eat and people need to eat and with everything skyrocketing, that's the last thing we want to tax."
...


SOURCE:
http://wcbstv.com/local/fast.food.tax.2.712510.html

[acptulsa]

New Jersey's fine chefs are lobbying the state legislature now? I guess you can get any goofy thing done if you bribe enough senators... :rolleyes:

[Primbs]

Maybe they will subsidize lettuce and carrot farms.

How to fight the tax.

In Virginia there was the "Meatball Rebellion"

It was an anti tax effort to stop a tax increase on prepared foods. It was successful.

http://www.joineugene.com/who.php

[Cinderella]

people can sue fast food industries for "making them fat" but they cant tax the food?? we shouldnt be eating this food in the first place!!! its horrible for ur body...true its a necessity to eat but its not a necessity to eat mcdonalds or taco bell or burger king.....

[Kraig]

Man if they did that here fast food places would lose SO much business. I would probably stop using them altogether. Fast food joints aren't exactly the greatest thing for society but they do provide jobs and business for many different people, completely horrible idea to try this during a recession.

[Kraig]

people can sue fast food industries for "making them fat" but they cant tax the food?? we shouldnt be eating this food in the first place!!! its horrible for ur body...true its a necessity to eat but its not a necessity to eat mcdonalds or taco bell or burger king.....

Not everyday, but there's certainly nothing wrong with enjoying it once in awhile. Not to mention many fast food restaurants have changed with the times and now offer a selection of healthier food's on their menu. I can go to McDonald's and get a a chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato and a fruit and yogurt on the side, pretty decent meal for the diet I need. It's not their fault people don't want to eat healthier, but this tax will punish them through loss of business.

This just another example of nanny government, and as usual they will do far more harm than good.

[Cinderella]

Not everyday, but there's certainly nothing wrong with enjoying it once in awhile. Not to mention many fast food restaurants have changed with the times and now offer a selection of healthier food's on their menu. I can go to McDonald's and get a a chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato and a fruit and yogurt on the side, pretty decent meal for the diet I need. It's not their fault people don't want to eat healthier, but this tax will punish them through loss of business.

This just another example of nanny government, and as usual they will do far more harm than good.


even once a month is too much to eat that shit....lmfao if u think their healthier choices are the best choices...the chicken sandwich is ok if u ommit the gov processed chicken and skip the mayo! i dont see how the tax will cause a loss of buisness....look at ciggs, they are over $5 a pack and they continue to tax it...has that stopped people from smoking?? NOPE.....i highly doubt a tax on nasty fast food will bankrupt their buisness....america, after all, is the fattest country on earth...if u dont like the tax then dont eat there.....same goes for ciggs if u dont like the tax dont smoke....i dont think its about them caring about people being unhealthy or that its another step toward nanny gov...theyre not saying "u cant have the big mac because ur too overweight" theyre basically making money off of "FAT AMERICANS"....(i kno not all fast fooders are fat but most are)

[Kraig]

even once a month is too much to eat that shit....lmfao if u think their healthier choices are the best choices...the chicken sandwich is ok if u ommit the gov processed chicken and skip the mayo! i dont see how the tax will cause a loss of buisness....look at ciggs, they are over $5 a pack and they continue to tax it...has that stopped people from smoking?? NOPE.....i highly doubt a tax on nasty fast food will bankrupt their buisness....america, after all, is the fattest country on earth...if u dont like the tax then dont eat there.....same goes for ciggs if u dont like the tax dont smoke....i dont think its about them caring about people being unhealthy or that its another step toward nanny gov...theyre not saying "u cant have the big mac because ur too overweight" theyre basically making money off of "FAT AMERICANS"....(i kno not all fast fooders are fat but most are)

I didn't say they were the best choices I said they were decent choices, especially compared to shit like taco bell and jack in the box. I also hate mayo. :D There are other decent choices, arbys has some good sandwiches, subway has good food, chick fil a has good food. I didn't say it would bankrupt them either, but I don't think you can argue that they won't lose some business, it's just a matter of how much. If you've paid attention to the economy lately you will know that any loss of business will only and fuel to the fire for the problems we will be facing. As prices continue to rise due to inflation, gas prices continue to go up, and the middle class's standard of living goes down more and more people are going to move away from fast food to save money. This will only accelerate that process, but unfortunately much of the middle class makes their living in this industry and it's not going to be such a great thing for them in the beginning. Fast Food is on it's way out in terms of how widespread it is, but it would be better to let it happen naturally. Cigs are also a bad example of how much people would be willing to pay because they are chemically addicting, fast food isn't.

All this is the government saying "you have to pay a little more than everyone else because you like fast food, or you like cigs, etc. and we're going to punish you for that". They are not "making money", taxing and making money are never the same thing.

[Primbs]

people can sue fast food industries for "making them fat" but they cant tax the food?? we shouldnt be eating this food in the first place!!! its horrible for ur body...true its a necessity to eat but its not a necessity to eat mcdonalds or taco bell or burger king.....

Since you are from Boston, pizzas are considered fast food. Would you tax Italian pizzerias in Little Italy in Boston?

"I'd be interested to know just how many Americans would like to see massive multibillion-dollar lawsuits against food companies; massive suits against restaurants that serve too large a serving, and confiscatory taxes levied on foods and snacks deemed non-nutritious."

"Consumers will pay for all of this in the form of higher food prices and fewer choices. There's also the possibility that food zealots in some cities, emboldened by the success of the anti-smoking zealots in Calabasas, who are concerned about smokers passing on bad habits to our youth, might call for an ordinance banning public appearance of obese people so as not to pass bad eating habits on to our children."

Walter Williams