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Sugar Tax
by Jeff Keane, click here for bio
Program: American Rancher
Date: August 13, 09
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I treasure our government the way it is set up, but lately some of the politician boys and gals are getting a little intrusive. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back right after this to tell you about some of their new thoughts. I just read an article in Drovers magazine by Suzanne Bopp that concluded with the sentence "Meanwhile, between lost productivity and medical expenses, obesity costs U.S. businesses about $45 billion annually - and nobody knows what to do about it." Well, it turns out our U.S. Senate leaders know what to do - tax soda and other sugary drinks. Mississippi legislators also introduced a bill prohibiting restaurants from serving obese customers. The governor of Maine signed a law taxing soda and corn syrup. New York City lawmakers require chain restaurants to display nutritional and caloric information on their menus. Thankfully, Mississippi's proposed bill never saw the light of day and Maine voters overturned the soda tax. In New York, restaurant owners lost in court and their menus do carry nutritional data. In the U.S. Senate the tax idea is still smoldering. Proponents feel they can alter consumers behavior and help the obesity problem. A University of Florida study does show when the price of alcohol rises, people drink less and some say the high tobacco taxes were the reason smoking rates dropped 22 percent in the last 45 years. Oh, the proposed three cent tax per 12 ounce soda could generate $24 billion in four years. Why do I have the feeling that tax is not really, really about caring for our health. I'm Jeff Keane.
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