soda tax
Soda Tax: The Beginning of the End The government plans to tax sugary drinks to lower consumption and reduce obesity rates. It is a tax that is justified, because a high majority of its consumers are obese and our government believes they should step in and do something about it. There are positive aspects of a soda tax, but it would also be a violation of freedom of choice, with many other red flags as well. The government simply, has too much involvement with our personal lives. Placing a soda tax would affect small business owners, lead our government to taxing other unhealthy behaviors, raise the cost of living for some families, and there is no way of knowing if it will help the obesity problem or if this tax will be effective. With the cost of living already being so high, the soda tax would raise bills even higher for small business owners. In the article “Reject the Soda Tax – San Francisco Doesn’t Need another Tax” by Taylor Peck, a small business owner, he explains “The cost of living here is going through the roof and new food and beverage taxes shouldn’t be on the table right now. Prop. E doesn’t address the major issues facing our city.” The government should be helping its people by cleaning up the streets, helping the homeless, and focusing on public transportation. The government wants to simply tax us on our unhealthy behaviors and not take care of the other issues in our society. One reason obesity rates may have gone up, is crime rates have also gone up, people not feeling safe in their community might have a negative correlation to staying indoors and not getting enough exercise. The government simply taxing its citizens and not cleaning up its cities, shows laziness and shows that they really don’t care about their people. If we continue to tax for things such as soda, the government would not just stop there and they would end up taxing other unhealthy behaviors as well. Many people wonder, what other taxes the