A New Soda Tax

Democrats plan to Tax Soda:

"Senate "leaders" are considering new federal taxes on soda and other sugary drinks to help pay for an overhaul of the nation's health-care system. (full story)

"Soda is clearly one of the most harmful products in the food supply, and it's something government should discourage the consumption of," Mr. Jacobson said.

I don't know if I can wrap my tiny little brain around this... but we knew it was coming.

The precedent is in Big Tobacco. First you subsidize it with Federal tax dollars, then you tax the living hell out of it - and tie those moneys to health care or jungle gyms - then when it's taxed to the point no one can buy it, you whine and yell that the no one is smoking anymore so we're going to have to tax something else...

...and since no one smokes anymore, everyone is hungry, and HEY - there's Big Corn, and we subsidize that product quite a bit... I know what to do!

No, this isn't a surprise at all.

Let me back up a second though. Soda isn't the "most dangerous" product in our food supply - that's probably peanut butter with salmonella in it. Why is there salmonella in the peanut butter? Because the government inspectors can't do their jobs with the tiny amount of funds they get. (What the hell am I paying for then? Oh, right cousins and cronies) Don't worry, the free market took those responsible out of business.

But if you really want to know the most dangerous foods in the American food supply they are:

1) Sodium nitrite -- known to cause cancer, found in processed meats like hot dogs, bacon, sausage. Used to make meats appear red (a color fixer chemical).

2) Hydrogenated oils -- known to promote heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, general deterioration of cellular health, and all kinds of fun stuff. Found in cookies, crackers, margarine and processed foods. Used to make oils stay in the food, extending shelf life. Sometimes also called "plastic fat." Yum.

3) Excitotoxins, AKA Yeast Extracts -- Aspartame, monosodium glutamate [MSG]. These neurotoxic chemical additives directly harm nerve cells, over-exciting them to the point of cell death, according to Dr. Russell Blaylock. They're found in diet soda, canned soup, salad dressing, breakfast sausage and even many manufactured vegetarian foods. They're used to add flavor to processed foods that have lost flavor and vitamins due to being processed.

Shall I go on? Go here.

Look, I want you to know I'm not a health nut or a "food activist." However, occasionally I do this stupid thing called thinking - and I do like to know what the hell it is I'm putting in my and my kid's mouth. [Unlike most of the athletes that work for the MLB, apparently?] I am simply sharing some of these facts with you to make your own decisions. Unlike our Federal government.

For a US Senator to give ME a lecture about what is safe food -- then be WRONG about it, so that he advance his little bill to introduce another new tax on something that is already heavily subsidized??? And to boot - another Nanny tax to control my terrible habits?

(I'm out of breath. I better put down my cigarette before I knock over my Kosher Coke. Okay. Breathe.)

Actually, it's a levy on my terrible habits. Like booze, tobacco, carbon, gasoline, income, bonuses, property, purchases, water use and now high fructose carbonated fizzy water.

"When it comes to health-care spending, we are on an unsustainable course that threatens the financial stability of families, businesses and government itself," Mr. Obama told reporters.

No, Sir. When it comes to Government spending "we are on an unsustainable course that threatens the financial stability of families, businesses..." and the American way of life.

Oh, and stay away from raw Alfalfa sprouts. Those buggers will kill ya.