You knew this was coming

[sailor22]

Link to a CNN piece about the many benefits of raising the tax on alcohol products.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/24....html?hpt=Sbin

Just think how many lives we could save if we legalized drugs and taxed the snot out of them.

[MarkEdwards]

Just think how many lives we could save if we legalized drugs and taxed the snot out of them.

What?! acetylsalicylic acid is illegal?

[Luna56]

What?! acetylsalicylic acid is illegal?

Only in those countries where "Not tonight, I've got a headache" is still an accepted rebuff to an invitation to participate in the connubial arts.

Cheers!

[ILLfarmboy]

"Studies show that all these groups respond to price," Wagenaar says.

Everyone responds to price. Only an idiot would think a study is needed to confirm this, and then assume "these groups" respond to price, of course, to the exclusion of every other group or demographic, which the statement assumes doesn't.

The rest of the article is the kind of nannystate-ninnyhammer stuff I was refering to in a thread in PR&C.

Something tells me that this isn't the first anti-alcohol crusade that Alexander C. Wagenaar has led or participated in. A quick search using "Alexander C. Wagenaar, Ph.D." and "alcohol" turns up more than a couple hits including a study: http://www.collegedrinkingprevention...aar&Toomey.pdf wich defended the raising of the drinking age from 18 to 21.

You gotta watch these sneaky nanny-state pushers.

[MarkEdwards]

I suppose they could LOWER the tax on alcohol, and RAISE the tax on condoms...

[ThomasH]

Why don't they levy taxes on welfare benefits and double the amount for those who get caught abusing illegal drugs!

Thomas

[ILLfarmboy]

I suppose they could LOWER the tax on alcohol, and RAISE the tax on condoms...

As a rule, I'm never in favor of taxing diferent consumer products diferently. It naturaly leads to more and more social engeneering and bussybodyisim.

But I have given passing thought to just how funny the reaction of the social engineers would be if the tax schemes they propose and often implement were to not only be eliminated but flipped 180 degrees and rammed through the various state legislatures.

Imagine if alcohol was taxed less than orange juice, two percent milk was taxed more than whole milk, pop was taxed less than bottled water, the more grams of fat per serving a food contained the less the tax. etc......

Expanding on your idea to tax condoms, lets give condom tax credits to married folks to offset the 20 dollar a condom tax. We could then say its our way of discouraging out of wedlock births by making sex outside of marriage more expensive.

Nothing like this would ever fly, and frankly I would be against it. But it would sure be nice to turn the tables on the nanny-staters, if only just as a fantasy thought experiment.

[callmeox]

Why don't they levy taxes on welfare benefits and double the amount for those who get caught abusing illegal drugs!

Thomas

I bet that this thread is now a better fit in PR&C.

Anyone else??

[MarkEdwards]

Quote:Originally Posted by MarkEdwards
I suppose they could LOWER the tax on alcohol, and RAISE the tax on condoms...

As a rule, I'm never in favor of taxing diferent consumer products diferently. It naturaly leads to more and more social engeneering and bussybodyisim.

My thought was that if the tax on alcohol was lower, people would drink more of it, causing more spending on condoms...

[CorvallisCracker]

My thought was that if the tax on alcohol was lower, people would drink more of it, causing more spending on condoms...

The problem with that theory is that they'd be less likely to even think about using a condom.