Bet you never thought I'd support anything coming from BHO.

I don't do soda and I actually quit smoking almost two months ago.

I can support this if, soda will stop being purchased with food stamps.


President Obama says 'sin tax' on sodas is food for thought, despite Gov. Paterson's failed proposal
BY David Saltonstall
DAILY NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

Updated Wednesday, September 9th 2009, 8:49 AM

Gov. Paterson's proposal to tax soda in New York fizzled, but President Obama says it's an idea whose time may come.

The President, in an interview with Men's Health magazine released yesterday, said he thought taxing soda and other sugary drinks is worth putting on the table as Congress debates health care reform.

"It's an idea that we should be exploring," the President said. "There's no doubt that our kids drink way too much soda. And every study that's been done about obesity shows that there is as high a correlation between increased soda consumption and obesity as just about anything else."

Early this year, a public uproar forced Paterson to abandon his plan for an 18% state tax on soda and other sugary drinks. With Obama having a hard enough time selling health care reform, the White House tried after the interview appeared to put the cap back on the bottle.

White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said a soda tax is "not something we've proposed." And an administration official went further, saying he "is not going to do so."

Still, Obama was willing to at least float the idea. Congressional lawmakers have considered soda taxes as one among many ways way to cover the cost of revamping the health care system, estimated at up to $1 trillion over 10 years.

Thomas Frieden, who Obama put in charge of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also has spoken up for the idea. In his previous job as Mayor Bloomberg's health commissioner, Frieden played a key role in promoting healthy habits, including the smoking ban in bars and calorie counts on fast-food menus.

As in Paterson's case, Obama's comments drew the immediate wrath of industry and consumer-choice groups.

"The tax code should not be used as a method for social engineering, and that's what this is," said Justin Wilson, senior research analyst for the Center for Consumer Freedom, which gets money from food and beverage companies.

Obama acknowledged that the idea could lead to charges that Uncle Sam is trying to dictate personal diets, but he hinted the benefit may be worth it.

"Look, people's attitude is that they don't necessarily want Big Brother telling them what to eat or drink, and I understand that," Obama said.

"It is true, though, that if you wanted to make a big impact on people's health in this country, reducing things like soda consumption would be helpful."

With Kenneth R. Bazinet in Washington

..maybe they should just tax YOU..since you think its such a good idea ....

All through my boy's school years there were soda and potato chip vending machines...
who gives a crap what someone buys with their food stamps..

Why does every body care soooooo much about what others do? If their not hurting you..why bother to worry about it?

... or maybe they should just tax people who cheat on their wives or rob or steal or rape after all those are sins too..alot worse than sodas

I don't see Pepsi or Coke lettin this happen. They'll lobby the h*ll outta whoever they need to in order for it not to. Besides it's a lame idea to begin with. They gonna start 'sin' taxin all the junk food? An who will determine what is considered a junk food?

what about koolaid? think of the adults! but i use splenda sugar blend so i dont get diarrhea lol

Dam'ed if I do and dam'ed if I don't.

It's not my idea so, why attack me??

I been tryin' for the last year to find at least one thing he's come up with that I could support.

Help me out here, all you BHOBNer, Liberals. Where ya'll at?

I think they should just tax the h-ll out of politicians.

maybe if the A-HOLES had done their job we wouldnt be in this mess or having to deal with any tax increase,considering the latest debaucle with AIG and wall street..maybe they should just take it out of their PHUCKING pay...and then fire all their a s s e s...

The same folks who decided on the Tobacco Tax. What happened to the tobbacco lobbyists?

They ARE doing their job! Since the adoption of the constitution, politicians have been a professional criminal class, stealing from regular people and killing them (with wars, regulations, etc). Wanna fix it? Either go back to the AoC, or preferably, abandon government altogether.

An when they raised the tax on cigarettes, I went to makin my own. If by some insane reason this got passed I'd simply start makin my own soda. I know how to make root beer an ginger ale myself.

I'll get into bootleggin' with ya!

Willin, u don't bootleg soda, bootleggin involves makin ur own whiskey or moonshine as it's referred to in these parts.

That too.
My Great-Grandma and my Grandpa made and ran moonshine in Southern Ms.
Made it in the Pass and trucked it as far as New Orleans and Mobile.

GREAT!!!!! I told ya'll so. first they tax the crap outta my smokes now they want to tax the crap outta my Dr Pepper???? who do I need to smack around????

I don't like this one bit simply cause it's BHO's idea

Start with your congress-critters!

I'm not a politician fan anyway. I'll be doing a lot of smacking. hopefully it won't get passed. I am a grown woman, so I can decide what to put into my body...#1. #2 I have raised a boy that is now 18 and he turned out just fine without the governments help

Congrats on raising your boy without the nanny state! I'm proud of you!