Wednesday, April 30, 2008

New Jersey Considers Fast Food Tax...

...well, not really.



According to government officials, it's something that was mentioned as a way to fund struggling hospitals, but no measure has actually be put before the NJ legislature.

The vast majority of the people interviewed in this local NBC affiliate segment were against it, but then again they all had McDonald's bags in their hands.

This is one of those instances (and these will increase if the economy keeps going in its current direction), where politics and food meet. The number of cases of heart disease, diabetes, and other ailments have a direct correlation with the way we've been eating in the past four or five decades, and if an extra five cents on each Big Mac can go towards offsetting the costs of treating these diseases, go right ahead. If an extra five cents on a Whopper can go towards prevention costs, go right ahead. And, if an extra five cents can convince a young mother or father to go to the store or the local farmers market and buy some veggies, please New Jersey, go right ahead.

You're the Garden State, not the drive thru state - start acting like it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

There's no reason to go to New Jersey unless you're driving through it to get to Philadelphia or the City. "Drive-Thru State" is actually more appropriate than "Garden State."

Emily said...

haha I just got back from a McDonald's in New Jersey. I don't really have a problem with them taxing extra for fast food, but there are definitely "healthier alternatives" there. You can eat crap at most restaurants. Where would the line be drawn as to what is healthy and not? That is not a tax code that I would ever want to write.