Obama is gonna tax your soda...

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

There is no such thing as a sunset for a spending program, they just print the extra $$$.

There is on the state and local levels. Especially in TN, where constitutionally, we must have a balanced budget.

 

[Rmsanger 10+ year member]

Only if the legislation were written with sunset clauses on what we did with the revenues.
The matching principle makes sense only if you believe demand is inelastic...if both sides of the equation are elastic, then matching makes perfect sense.

It would be interesting to see some imperial data on the price elasticity of demand for these types of products (Soda, Fast Food, Desserts). My sense would they would by relatively inelastic to "healthy" substitutes up to a 2-3X their current costs. A $3 Big Mac raised to $5-$6 then becomes more of a competitive decision to lets say a $6 Subway item.

To McSoul's comment on Freedom of liberty I would argue that you're still free to consume these items that create a negative externality. You will just be forced to pay a higher price.

 

[duece212 5,000+ posts]

To McSoul's comment on Freedom of liberty I would argue that you're still free to consume these items that create a negative externality. You will just be forced to pay a higher price.

In essence, it sucks to be poor

 

[mcsoul 10+ year member]

It would be interesting to see some imperial data on the price elasticity of demand for these types of products (Soda, Fast Food, Desserts). My sense would they would by relatively inelastic to "healthy" substitutes up to a 2-3X their current costs. A $3 Big Mac raised to $5-$6 then becomes more of a competitive decision to lets say a $6 Subway item.
To McSoul's comment on Freedom of liberty I would argue that you're still free to consume these items that create a negative externality. You will just be forced to pay a higher price.

Your not free if the market is not free. Your confusing tyranny for freedom, it happens a lot these days.

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

It would be interesting to see some imperial data on the price elasticity of demand for these types of products (Soda, Fast Food, Desserts). My sense would they would by relatively inelastic to "healthy" substitutes up to a 2-3X their current costs. A $3 Big Mac raised to $5-$6 then becomes more of a competitive decision to lets say a $6 Subway item.
To McSoul's comment on Freedom of liberty I would argue that you're still free to consume these items that create a negative externality. You will just be forced to pay a higher price.

I assume it would be similar to that of gasoline. We thought that was inelastic, hell some textbooks use it as the defacto standard. Last summer, we discovered that isn't the case at all. Fright changed the game.

 

[WhoSayWho? 5,000+ posts]

It would be interesting to see some imperial data on the price elasticity of demand for these types of products (Soda, Fast Food, Desserts). My sense would they would by relatively inelastic to "healthy" substitutes up to a 2-3X their current costs. A $3 Big Mac raised to $5-$6 then becomes more of a competitive decision to lets say a $6 Subway item.
To McSoul's comment on Freedom of liberty I would argue that you're still free to consume these items that create a negative externality. You will just be forced to pay a higher price.

And your argument would be hollow. It is a matter of the government making choices for us and imposing them through the tax code. Of course, this is not new. I am sure that each time this has been done people have made the "slippery slope" argument, warning that this would eventually lead to government involvement in the simplest of decisions. Well, it looks like we have reached that point and you and your ilk are pleased to be shed of the burdens of living in a free society. Meanwhile, those of us who willingly accept the responsibilities of being men are stuck in a society of your design, made for children.

 

[lsm 10+ year member]

they can't tax my kool-aid //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif
//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/sneaky.gif.7189749b3a3f769e8815b47e8ae87f88.gif

OH YEAH!!

 

[Rmsanger 10+ year member]

WHat? I thought it was the government's role to decide what is good and bad for us, then punish the bad behaviour through taxes. Oh help us federal government!
Look at how readily some people (like Rmsanger) have embraced this line of reasoning. It's scary how quickly people will abandon their liberties and accept control by the government.

Hey I agree and support many of the libertarian perspectives. I appreciate in theory that rational people would make rational decisions and derive the best economic outcome. But I think this whole banking/housing fiasco has shown that even well educated people will make retarded decisions with the best intentions.

There has to be some mix of "freedom" and standardization or else we cannot function in unison.

Thanks for the nice conversation gentlemen! I'm off to catch my flight to Vegas

 

[Korn4Life 5,000+ posts]

If they wanna tax crap tax the bad stuff that kills people, ciggerettes, liquor, Mcdonalds, etc. And when are they gonna legalize weed. I mean come on....thats a billion dollar industry right there.

Are you Kidding me? They already tax the crap out of tobacco. A pack of smokes cost only $2.50-3 per pack from the manufactor. The rest is taxes. Anywhere from $2-3 per pack for just Taxes. Im all for them taxing SODA. Hell they should Tax Coffee a ton of people drink that....

And they should tax the crap out of companies that dont provide Healthcare to there employees. It would teach them a lesson on being cheap.... bastards

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

And your argument would be hollow. It is a matter of the government making choices for us and imposing them through the tax code. Of course, this is not new. I am sure that each time this has been done people have made the "slippery slope" argument, warning that this would eventually lead to government involvement in the simplest of decisions. Well, it looks like we have reached that point and you and your ilk are pleased to be shed of the burdens of living in a free society. Meanwhile, those of us who willingly accept the responsibilities of being men are stuck in a society of your design, made for children.

Social policy through incentives is nothing new. I don't see the difference in making the motivation economic vs. another forms of incentives, such as incarceration.

Hey I agree and support many of the libertarian perspectives. I appreciate in theory that rational people would make rational decisions and derive the best economic outcome. But I think this whole banking/housing fiasco has shown that even well educated people will make retarded decisions with the best intentions.
There has to be some mix of "freedom" and standardization or else we cannot function in unison.

Thanks for the nice conversation gentlemen! I'm off to catch my flight to Vegas

**** economicus (or however you want to say it) doesn't exist. We must operative in the positive, not the normative.

 

[WhoSayWho? 5,000+ posts]

Hey I agree and support many of the libertarian perspectives. I appreciate in theory that rational people would make rational decisions and derive the best economic outcome. But I think this whole banking/housing fiasco has shown that even well educated people will make retarded decisions with the best intentions.
There has to be some mix of "freedom" and standardization or else we cannot function in unison.

Have you watched Congress in action lately? I can't understand how anyone who has witnessed them in action can really believe that those guys need to be given wholesale power over our lives.

It scares the hell out of me to see these self serving, grandstanding, liars and cheats get away with the crap they are pulling.

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

Have you watched Congress in action lately? I can't understand how anyone who has witnessed them in action can really believe that those guys need to be given wholesale power over our lives.
It scares the hell out of me to see these self serving, grandstanding, liars and cheats get away with the crap they are pulling.

He is being idealistic.

 

[WhoSayWho? 5,000+ posts]

Social policy through incentives is nothing new.

I just said that, in the post you quoted.

One difference is that by using the tax code they are able to prohibit what the public would never accept if they attempted to use the penal code. We have seen that reflected ITT. People actually buy into the rationale that you are still free to do "it", regardless if "it" is cost prohibitive.

For me, it's not a matter of the cost of a bottle of soda. It's a matter of watching your civil liberties being stripped away, and knowing that a good portion of the citizens are so ignorant they do not even realize what is happening.

 

[IamDeMan 5,000+ posts]

I just said that, in the post you quoted.
One difference is that by using the tax code they are able to prohibit what the public would never accept if they attempted to use the penal code. We have seen that reflected ITT. People actually buy into the rationale that you are still free to do "it", regardless if "it" is cost prohibitive.

For me, it's not a matter of the cost of a bottle of soda. It's a matter of watching your civil liberties being stripped away, and knowing that a good portion of the citizens are so ignorant they do not even realize what is happening.

I will put it to you this way. I don't drink pop enough to care if they are stripping this by any means they wish to use. It is a non-issue for me, so I don't wish to exert the energy in fighting it. When they hit me somewhere where I actually have feelings then I will stand and yell atop the mountains with you, so that all may hear me. Until then, I will watch you rock in your chair on the porch and widdle wood, while telling fantastic stories of yesteryear.

 

[mcsoul 10+ year member]

I will put it to you this way. I don't drink pop enough to care if they are stripping this by any means they wish to use. It is a non-issue for me, so I don't wish to exert the energy in fighting it. When they hit me somewhere where I actually have feelings then I will stand and yell atop the mountains with you, so that all may hear me. Until then, I will watch you rock in your chair on the porch and widdle wood, while telling fantastic stories of yesteryear.

$20 extra per bottle booze tax