Rep. Rosa DeLauro: Congress Should Consider Federal Tax on Soda Pop

CNS News -- July 20, 2012

Rep. Rosa DeLauro: Congress Should Consider Federal Tax on Soda Pop
U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has another bright idea.

She says that people on food stamps are more likely to buy a .79 soda pop as opposed to a $3.49 juice drink.

So the only answer is to simply apply a tax on the soda pop ...right?

Well that solves all the problems right there I guess.

(CNSNews.com) – Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said on Wednesday that Congress ought to look at imposing a federal tax on soda pop.

“We have to address the situation in the marketplace," DeLauro said at a press conference on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. "Right now, the least expensive beverages are often those with the least value to our health like regular cola or juice drinks that are only 10 percent juice.

“But I will tell you that if you’re paying $3.49 for juice and 79 cents for soda, if you are in a low-income family and you have to stretch the dollar, you don’t need a rocket scientist to tell you what you’re going to buy,” DeLauro said. “You’re going to go for the 79 cents.

How about some better jobs instead ??

Smart lady! Seems they realize how addicted people are to their sodas! So lets increase taxes like other addictive items! /end sarcasm...

Yeah. That.

Adding a tax to items such as this punishes people and won't have any added effect on whether or not someone buys soda, food stamps or not.. Unfortunately you jackholes in DC would end up screwing the public with an added tax and it would be lost in some deep, dark hole. Why not educate people on nutrition?

If you tax items that are so bad for you what's the use of the FDA?

I believe almost all states now have their citizens on a food-stamp credit card – so, employing modern computer technology, the Feds could simply put in place a ban on the sale of soda (or tobacco or greasy foods, etc.) and stop these folks right at the cash register.

Then the Feds can really start to dictate what people buy & eat.

Ah, yes, the "Nanny State" -- coming to a grocery store near you soon.

She really messed up.

The issue should be,

Why in the hell is a bottle of juice $3.50?

Even the cheap no name brand juices are $2.50.

I know because I have to buy them for my kids.

The next bigger question is,

If families are buying soda because they are cash strapped in the first place, then where are they going to get the money to buy even more expensive soda. I mean her reasoning is people are broke and going for the cheapest alternative, so lets force them to pay more, even if they cannot afford it to begin with.

Every single one of these people are out of touch on the way people live.

They all think that "taxing" will fix everything. The big question is, where does all the money go?

We pay enough taxes.

Why can't they take an easy route and make all junk food purchases on food stamps prohibited? There is already a list of things that you cannot buy on food stamps.

This country and its leaders are so bass akwards in their approach on problems that it really is sad and commical at the same time.

Hell, just outlaw soda and little debbie. That will fix the obesity problem. Nevermind the 600 pound guy at KFC getting a dozen chicken thighs on his plate and a gallon of slaw

I am so sick of these new tax proposals

You all thought it was a very very good idea for the 80 % of the population who don't smoke to support taxes on the 20 % of the people who do smoke.

You didn't lift one little finger to stop the government from raping the wallets of smokers but sure enjoyed the infrastructure, schools and golf courses that tobacco money bought and paid for.

So now I, a smoker, fully support a tax on food, all in support of "better health" for the obese. But time you non-smoking parasites paid your fair share.

And I won't lift a finger to help any of you!

Tired of Control Freaks

reply to post by liejunkie01


indeed. WHY oh WHY is a bottle of juice so expensive? And usually then its the Grape "drink" or "cocktail". If you want 100% be prepared to spend up to 5 bucks. People are attacking the symptoms rather than the sickness itself and its pretty disheartening. Meanwhile these same companies are free to send prices into a skyrocket with little to no regulation. Maybe a better idea would be to put a cap on the price of so-called healthy foods and better regulate those who use words like "organic", "all natural", "Green" and "healthy" to price gouge.

I'm sick of all these taxes these parasites want!

When is enough going to be enough for them? Why don't they just take all the freaking money and then just hand us back our share? Hmmmm!

Sure it would cause a riot and all that. Then they could just lock everyone up forever in jails! The new nazi camps! Only difference is that the inmates get to kill each other off.

Why can't they just finance themselves better? There should be a new law in place. Anyone who thinks up or proposes a new tax, gets FIRED! No questions asked, just fired!

What kind of logic is this?

Poor people cant afford healthy drinks, so the answer is to make the unhealthy ones expensive too? That doesn't solve anything.

How about they subsidize the cost of healthy food and drinks? That would actually help poor people. But it's obvious helping poor people isn't the issue, it's just getting more tax revenue.

I'm on the fence about the idea of the government controlling what people on food stamps buy. On one hand I don't like government intrusion into private affairs. On the other hand, people have invited the government into their private affairs when they sign up for food stamps, and the whole idea of food stamps if to provide food for people that can't afford it.

If you are too poor to pay for your own food, then the people buying your food for you should have a say in what you are purchasing. If you use your food stamps on soda, something with zero nutritional value, then it's a waste of money. If you can afford to waste your own money, more power to you, but if you are begging for your fellow citizens to pay for your food, then you should only be buying things that are actually food, not soda.

If you are buying $20 steaks with food stamps, then obviously you don't need the food stamps. That $20 could easily provide healthy meals for one person for a few days, or two people for one day. If you have enough extra food stamp money laying around to buy expensive food items, then you obviously don't NEED food stamps, therefore should not be receiving them.

Taxes on things are never the answer. It accomplishes nothing but the state raping the wallets of the citizens so they have more money to blow on things that aren't important. Why on earth I'm destroying my car's tires and suspension on horrible roads when the state can pay for stupid little artsy fartsy statues all over the city is beyond me. Or why a median in a road needs to be turned into a miniature park with all sorts of expensive fences and decorations, when the road it's on is falling apart. Hell we didn't even used to have an income tax. When it was introduced to pay for the war it was supposed to be temporary. We all know how that turned out.

Long post and I'm kind of rambling, sorry. But basically I think it's a stupid idea. If the idea is to help poor people, taxing soda isn't going to help. It's like their thought process is "Hey these people can't afford juice, so lets make it so they can't afford soda either!" It's just plain stupid. So that leaves the only REAL reason for the tax, to rip off your standard citizens and get money to blow on garbage while the country's infrastructure falls apart and the citizens can't afford to live.