It is not an open and shut case: obesity has a huge external cost to society, in increased medical insurance costs, lost work days, etc. Soda is dirt cheap to make, with a great markups so taxing it is not completely unreasonable. A better solution is to eliminate all subsidies on sugar and corn syrup, which would make healthier food relatively more competitive
But, as for the first part: that also goes for eating meat, eating too much (ergo serving meat and big portions at restaurants), not exercising, taking certain supplements...and a whole lotta other stuff, too. I don't disagree that the public good can be served in an important sense by such regulations--I'm saying that there's no sense in which soda is special... except that liberals hate it because it's gauche. And that slope is slippery as hell. In fact, it's not even a slope, it's a cliff.
Soda, like popcorn at movie theaters is where a restaurant's profit lies, and restaurants are already running on thin margins. With $15/hr wages for front of the house staff how are they to stay in business?
It is not an open and shut case: obesity has a huge external cost to society, in increased medical insurance costs, lost work days, etc. Soda is dirt cheap to make, with a great markups so taxing it is not completely unreasonable. A better solution is to eliminate all subsidies on sugar and corn syrup, which would make healthier food relatively more competitive
ReplyDeleteI agree with the last part, man.
ReplyDeleteBut, as for the first part: that also goes for eating meat, eating too much (ergo serving meat and big portions at restaurants), not exercising, taking certain supplements...and a whole lotta other stuff, too. I don't disagree that the public good can be served in an important sense by such regulations--I'm saying that there's no sense in which soda is special... except that liberals hate it because it's gauche. And that slope is slippery as hell. In fact, it's not even a slope, it's a cliff.
Soda, like popcorn at movie theaters is where a restaurant's profit lies, and restaurants are already running on thin margins. With $15/hr wages for front of the house staff how are they to stay in business?
ReplyDelete