http://wcbstv.com/…

NEWARK, N.J. (CBS) - The sputtering economy has caused an increase in prices of many staples including gasoline, rice, ice cream, even beer. Now some lawmakers in New Jersey are considering taking food taxes a step further and install a proverbial “sin” tax on fast food.

Yes, the idea of marking up your favorite fast food burger or pack of fries is actually being tossed around, and it’s not settling well with many residents.

“They’re taxing everything. Now you’re gonna tax fast food? That’s crazy,” said Newark resident Miriam Robertson.

Added Livingston resident Tina Abrahamian: “No one wants to be taxed. I mean, it’s a necessity to eat and people need to eat and with everything skyrocketing, that’s the last thing we want to tax.”

The thought of taxing a Big Mac or a Wendy’s burger came up at a New Jersey Hospital Association meeting where Gov. Jon S. Corzine was asked if it could be an option to help fund struggling hospitals. At the meeting, he reportedly called it a “constructive suggestion.”

A spokesperson for the governor, however, told CBS 2 on Wednesday:

“The governor is open to reasonable solutions to help solve our financing problems, but there are no plans for any fast food tax.”

State Sen. Richard Codey has been quoted as saying a tax on fast food “is a tax on the poor.” And plenty of residents agree.

“[It cost] $12.86 for [fries] and this little chicken wrap, and they want to tax that? You’re serious?” asked Newark resident Saladine Fuller. “If they raise it, I’ll stop buying it.”

Still, some say taxing fast food isn’t such a bad idea.

“I think this country has gone too much in the direction of fast and unhealthy food, and if people are taxed they may terminate that and turn toward more healthy foods,” said West Orange resident Maureen Felix.

For now, the fast food tax is just an idea. Detroit lawmakers once toyed with it, but it never passed into law.

Mental note… Maureen Felix of West Orange is an authoritarian.

This is so very retarded. Fast food is not cheap. It’s just easy. But so is the Qwiki Mart and Starbucks and DD. Will they tax that too? How about a progressive tax on the density of energy. That way we all are incentivized to eat cardboard and celery. They are simply looking for money and since fast food has been demonized its an easy target. If they need money why not they use some of it from their monopoly gambling ring or layoff some of those make work bureaucrats they have? Why not just stop fucking around and let the market decide where the money should flow? If a hospital is failing it should be left to fail. It’s a failed program and needs to be replaced.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/…

A government advisor has suggested that the problem of Brits continuing to smoke themselves to death might be tackled by requiring nicotine addicts to obtain a £200 annual licence, the Telegraph reports.

Professor Julian le Grand, a “former advisor to Tony Blair” who is a lecturer in social policy at the London School of Economics and “advises ministers through his chairmanship of Health England”, made his proposal this week as a Department of Health report said that while “smoking prevalence is falling among both males and females”, far too many of us are popping our clogs as a result of coronary disease and other smoking-related ailments.

Accordingly, and since simply raising the price of gaspers has not in the past convinced hardened smokers to quit, le Grand declared that “requiring them to fill in forms, and have photographs taken in order to apply for a permit would prove a more effective deterrent”.

The master plan is to issue an initial yearly fag permit, and once up and running, the scheme could be “extended so smokers had to get a doctor’s signature that their health was not at ‘massive risk’ by smoking in order to get a licence”.

They have no shame. They make no attempt to hide their nanny state push. I kindof want this to gain traction and be implemented. Soon they’ll be stopping people on the street asking for their smoking papers. Afterwards they can put high taxes on fatty foods. When people don’t stop eating unhealthy food the government can then introduce a license. You’ll be given fatty credits when you register the healthy foods you eat and how much you’ve exercised. With a note from your NHS doctor of course. Later if they suspect that your eating habits have lead to some problem NHS will be sure to place you at the end of the line. Why should the government and therefore the people have to pay for your bad habits?