Free Talk Live

Should We Tax Soda?

The Senate is considering various ways to pay for a health care system overhaul. One option is to start taxing things that are contributing to health problems such as obesity, and sodas are in the cross-hairs.

From The Wall Street Journal:

Los Angeles parks and libraries could soon be soda-free. - When Councilman Mitch Englander discovered that his daughter was unable to buy anything but sugar-packed sodas in a city park vending machine, he introduced a motion to ban them. Englander pitched his proposed soda ban at parks and libraries to the city's Arts, Parks, Health & Aging Committee on Tuesday, CBS reports. The council member, who serves as president of the local chapter of the American Diabetes Association, talked about how sugary sodas increase rates of childhood obesity and diabetes.

A man faces up to five years behind bars after being accused of walking out of a McDonald's without paying for a $1 cup of soda.
The sheriff's report said around 10pm last Thursday Abaire entered the restaurant and asked for a drink of water.
A manager told police that staff handed him a courtesy cup, which he then filled up with soda from a fountain machine.
During a conversation with the manager, Abaire refused to pay for the soda, valued at $1, and refused to leave the premises.

It's easy to say the modern teabaggers are assholes. The modern teabaggers are assholes. See? We didn't even break a sweat.

But as it turns out, these latest teabaggers are simply carrying on a longstanding tradition of proud, vaguely patriotic douchebaggery that they learned from the OG's of asshole behavior; the guys who tossed some tea into a harbor a couple hundred years ago.

No, we're not saying we wish the British had won the war or that we wish America had never been born. We're just saying that American history glosses over a lot of true dick behavior. After all, consider that...

In NYC, an arbitrary stretch of road which previously allowed parking, was suddenly changed to no standing any time. After the change, within 25 minutes, parking enforcement arrived and began issuing $115 parking tickets. When confronted about the sudden rule change and the fact that people did not have time to move, none of them seemed to care.

Furthermore, the official response basically told the owners of those cars that if they didn't like the ticket then they can fight it in court.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not endorse spanking for any reason, citing its lack of long-term effectiveness as a behavior-changing tactic. Instead the AAP supports strategies such as time-outs when children misbehave, which focus on getting kids to reflect on their behavior and the consequences of their actions.

This is familiar behavior from Jones. It’s why we love him. He’s a like a bulldog. But Morgan’s behavior was suspiciously out of character.

Piers Morgan is loudmouthed blow hard who can hold his own against someone raising their voice. I’ve seen him interview Jesse Ventura, and Ted Nugent about gun control and he meets their volume. Those guys aren’t much softer than Jones. In fact, when Morgan debated Larry Pratt on gun control, he shouts Pratt down.

But against Jones he’s utterly calm. He doesn’t interrupt. He doesn’t raise his voice. Why the change? Well I have a theory.

New York City and the Bloomberg administration plan to enact a ban on the sale large sodas and other sugary drinks at movie theaters, restaurants, and even street vendors in an effort to fight obesity.

JetBlue captain's erratic behavior forces emergency landing, passengers say

AMARILLO, Texas – A JetBlue plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Amarillo, Texas, on Tuesday after the captain "exhibited erratic behavior," according to a TSA statement.
JetBlue Flight 191, which was headed from New York’s Kennedy Airport to Las Vegas, was forced to make the landing after the pilot reportedly ran up and down the aisles screaming “Say your prayers” after he was locked outside the cockpit, The New York Post reported, citing a passenger.