Can I have a diet coke with that, please? Thanks!

[telemann.livejournal.com]

malasadas had a great post recently about making good food choices, especially when consumers have informed choices. In the spirit of that post, I was amused when I saw this today (via the "The Consumerist") KFC's "Double Down": it's bacon and cheese sandwiched between two pieces of fried chicken. The "Original Recipe" sandwich will set you back about 540 calories, 32g of fat and 1380mg of sodium. The not-as-bad-for-you Grilled Double Down totals 460 calories, 23g of fat and 1430mg of sodium. This doesn't even look appealing to me. Luckily here in New York City, restaurants are required to post nutritional information like this to give us some informed choices. But what if consumers insist on making the wrong choice even with all the information? New York City is considering a "bad food tax," and when you see fare like this, you have to wonder if heavy taxation would have an impact. Such taxation reduced cigarette consumption (a carton of cigarettes by law can not be lower than 72.00 here in New York). True, the case can be made taxation like this is rather ineffective because people order cigarettes online, or just buy them in other states, but with a lot of hungry tourists and citizens, it's unlikely everyone is just going to leave, and eat in New Jersey.

Comments

[rainynights.livejournal.com]

Again this is just another move by the govt trying to force us to eat what they think we should by taxing it! The govt should have no say in what we eat or drink. It is none of their darn business..

[enasisabitch.livejournal.com]

Have you read the pamphlets in restaurants that show the nutritional values? most restaurants that I have been to usually don't serve anything under maybe 800 calories..no wonder there is an obesity epidemic in the US

[enasisabitch.livejournal.com]

considering the amount of restaurants and fast food chains that sell healthy food I don't think people have much of a choice especially since both parents usually are working these days some days there just isn't time to cook.

[enasisabitch.livejournal.com]

so far no new product or service has arisen in quite a long time and i don't see it happening in the near future unless there is some intervention within our culture about food

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

The govt is not having a say in what you eat or drink.

The govt should, and does, have a say in taxation.

[rainynights.livejournal.com]

Um excuse me? Yes they most def. are trying to force us not to eat or drink anything "high calorie" by taxing it.. They think if they put enough tax on something we wont buy it. That is ridiculous... if someone wants to gain 400 pounds well that is their right to do so. The govt can not and should not fix your problems.. That is not their place to tell people what they should or should not eat.. If I want a cheeseburger I should be able to go get one without paying extra tax becuase gasp it has fat in it..

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

You are making a mistake. You are confusing a tax with a prohibition.

When the govt outlawed alcohol--THAT is the govt telling the people what they should not drink. When the govt outlaws marijuana--THAT is the govt telling people what they should not smoke. When they raise taxes on cigarettes--that's the govt raising money. Cause, ya know, right now they are fucking broke.

[rainynights.livejournal.com]

Im not mistaking anything.. I know exactly what they are doing they are going to keep raising taxes on this stuff until people can longer afford to buy the stuff and then where would the economy be? They are totally making big companies the bad guys when they are the ones keeping this economy afloat. Poor people do not make jobs.. and why the crap are you going to tax people or raise taxes on people during a sucky economy?

Whose fault is it that we are broke? The govts own fault.. I am a Reagan Conservative and I liked Bush but he made a lot of mistakes but he has a good one for spending with the two wars. Now the bailing out of the companies he should have never done. But obama is out spending like its nobodys business.. He needs to stop spending on stupid crap.. He has been one of the worst presidents in American history in my opinion.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

OIC

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

Simple economics lesson:

If you make A more expensive, the company that makes B (a cheaper product) will proper. The economy will be fine if there's a tax on uber-unhealthy food; just as the economy is fine when they raise taxes on cigarettes or alcohol.

Bush tax cuts lost the govt $1,000,000,000,000.
I think we need to increase govt revenue and taxing unhealthy foods is a good way to do this.

People will still buy this, if it is taxed.

And you are also a victim of the slippery slope argument. You assume one tax will inevitably lead to another. If they tax this item 10%, that doesn't mean that next year they will tax it another 10%. Slippery slopes are slippery.

[rainynights.livejournal.com]

You know there really is no point in arguing with you any further. Nothing I saw will appease you and nothing you say is going to stand any ground with me. I guess now it is best to agree to disagree...

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

' The economy will be fine if there's a tax on uber-unhealthy food; just as the economy is fine when they raise taxes on cigarettes or alcohol.'

'And you are also a victim of the slippery slope argument'

' The economy will be fine if there's a tax on uber-unhealthy food; just as the economy is fine when they raise taxes on cigarettes or alcohol.'

'And you are also a victim of the slippery slope argument'

' The economy will be fine if there's a tax on uber-unhealthy food; just as the economy is fine when they raise taxes on cigarettes or alcohol.'

'And you are also a victim of the slippery slope argument'

"The slippery slope argument is wrong... but while I'm arguing for taxes on cigarettes let's put it on junk food too. Oh... and alcohol. Oh and.... what else we got?

The real key question here:

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

Is the tax proposed prohibitively high?

Re: The real key question here:

[telemann.livejournal.com]

18 percent is being tossed around.

Re: The real key question here:

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

OK.

And what's the original cost?