20080430 New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Tax On Fast Food by WCBS TV

New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Tax On Fast Food - 'Sin' Tax Could Help Fund Struggling Hospitals

Apr 30, 2008

From the folks in “New Jersey, where in 1992 the Health Department made it illegal to serve undercooked or raw eggs. Violators could be fined $25 to $100. Hysteria resulted. Consumers bemoaned the governmental intrusion into their breakfast tables. Politicians pointed fingers. The law was quickly changed.” [20001208 Egg fans uneasy about FDA's 'No over easy' advice Egg fans uneasy about FDA's 'No over easy' advice December 8, 2000 In this story: Waiter! Take back these eggs!; How risky are soft-boiled eggs?; Reducing the risk]

Now New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Tax On Fast Food…

Meanwhile, I sure hope this doesn’t give members of the current Maryland administration or Maryland General Assembly any ideas…

New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Tax On Fast Food - 'Sin' Tax Could Help Fund Struggling Hospitals

Apr 30, 2008 Christine Sloan Reporting

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.

[…]

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.

[…]

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.

http://wcbstv.com/local/fast.food.tax.2.712510.html

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