Tax our way to a better figure?

“If you came up with a list of the top 200 things in this nation that could be taxed, this administration wouldn’t miss any of them.” – U.S. Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), Atlanta Journal Constitution, 5/19/09

Okay, I'm on my soapbox again. Have you read about the proposed tax on soft drinks and juice drinks? No, it isn't exactly a sales tax; it's in addition to sales tax. Supposedly, it's going to protect children against obesity. I'm still scratching my head over that one, but all I can come up with is that families won't be able to afford them anymore, so the kids won't have them available.

Okay, so let me think this through... If you jack up the price with taxes, the working stiff can't afford them. That means that the bottling companies have to lay off people because they aren't selling enough of their products. So then there are even more people unemployed and on welfare. Oh, it's coming to me now... It isn't a "beverage tax" or even a "nuisance tax". It's a weight-loss tax! The only people who'll still be working will be on starvation diets because they can't afford groceries; they're paying all the taxes to support the people who lost their jobs because Congress taxed another company right out of business. Perfectly clear now. What a great weight-loss program!

Anyway, if you'd like to read more about this proposed tax and/or register your opposition to it, go to http://www.nofoodtaxes.com/about. If you don't care to join Americans Against Food Taxes, that's fine, but please still convey your concerns and objections to your Senators and Representatives.