Time for the Fat Tax

Now that the Affordable Healthcare Act is the law of the land, confirmed by our Supreme Court, it is time to consider instituting a fat tax - a new federal sales tax on the sugary and fatty food which is making us the heaviest nation in history of the world. Just like smoking, we know that obesity leads to costly health problems. And it doesn't take much looking around to see that we have a big bill coming due.

The idea is simple: when purchasing the $3.00 Big Mac, the government collects 30 cents to take care of the heart attack that statistically follows.

This would not be a tax on overweight individuals. Maybe the name needs some refinement. It's a tax on the unessential food and drink that is making us overweight as a nation.

Of course, a fat tax is a great abridgment of personal freedom. Why should the government be telling us which foods are better or worse for us? But we have already crossed that bridge when we wanted the government to provide our health care. If the nanny state cares for you when you're sick, you have to let her help prevent you from becoming sick in the first place.

The fat tax is something conservatives can embrace because it is fiscally responsible. We can raise the funds to pay for the new health care entitlement without penalizing productivity. "Tax the Potato Chips" is better than "Tax the Rich." It is also self-balancing. If the fat tax causes us consume less junk food, then the decreased revenue should track with the decreased health bill. This will not convince the purists, but maybe it reduces the threat of wholesale instability that could end America's experiment of democracy. If we can keep the ship of state balanced and afloat, we give time to allow the natural consequences of nationalized health care to work itself out. Give democracy space to work.

Liberals will like the fat tax for different reasons. They will regard the government helping us make good eating choices as socially responsible. Apples and whole wheat bread and low-fat yogurt will now be comparatively cheap. It's a dream come true!

So we will disagree about the reasons for the tax, but this allows us to agree to have a solvent government based on laws passed by freely elected representatives. Maybe safeguarding our free government in the long run is worth the giving up another slice of personal freedom in the short run.