By Nutritionist Keith Klein CN, CCN

First of all, I can't believe I'm even sitting here writing to you about this issue. We need another tax about as much as we need another tax. Correct me if I'm wrong but I was always taught that double taxation was not only illegal but also unconstitutional. Yet, every time I turn around I keep feeling like I can't get ahead and save because taxes continue to pick away at my paycheck like crabs feasting on a dead fish. I feel like a crab running sideways not quite ever able to reach the shore in a direct line. No offense meant to crabs but I kind of link them to politicians. I don't think they know whether they are coming or going but I do see them doing a lot of sidestepping and never giving straight answers. They talk out of one side of their mouths while at the same time making the opposite statement out of the other side of their mouths. Personally, I believe taxing sodas may be an attempt for them to test the waters to see how we will respond to the idea of taxing foods.

Last week, I was watching the obnoxious news for lack of better things to do when Katie Couric mumbled something about Congress considering a tax on sodas. Apparently, Congress is thinking one way to help pay for the ginormous health care reform costs would be to tax sodas. And get this, at an ungodly price of 1 cent per ounce the tax would amount to an amazing $3.00 more for every case of soda you buy! Which begs the question, "how on earth did they come up with that number?" Probably the same way they calculate everything else, "it just sounds about right." Of course, there's no statistical calculation being used to determine the amount of taxation to charge, instead these idiots deliberately picked an amount that is designed to hurt you where it counts, "your wallet." Since they feel so strongly that sugary beverages are bad and as harmful as cigarettes, they picked a tax that would persuade you to reconsider drinking them. Congress decided that Americans are obese because of sugary drinks and therefore if you choose to drink sugary beverages you should be part of the population that pays more than your fair share toward health care reform. Thank God that has some of the big boys steaming mad so it won't pass without a fight. But if you think this is all about Pepsi, Coke and Shasta soda, think again. Gatorade, energy drinks, and any group of beverages that contain too much sugar will be included in the taxable group. So I have to ask, shouldn't the list also include fruit juices? Let's face it, fruit juices contain more sugar per ounce than sodas and therefore shouldn't they be taxed too? Where do you draw the line between a health beverage that contains sugar and one that the Gestapo deems unhealthy? Isn't the line somewhat blurred by the fact that sugar is sugar? Milk is high in milk sugar and is a beverage I consider to be high in sugar, so shouldn't it be taxed too? What about taxing high fat milk, but not skim milk? After all, if high fat whole milk causes obesity shouldn't we tax that but not tax skim milk? It just sends out one huge mixed message. Diet sodas won't be taxed. So does that mean that diet sodas are healthy? And since when do taxes determine the healthiness of a food? When the unemployment rate is high and consumers are struggling just to make their house note, does it make any sense at all to inflict an additional $3.00 per case of soda onto the consumer? Researchers argue that obesity costs the Medicare and Medicaid system as much as 80 million dollars and that the obese are putting undue burden on the soaring health care costs in America. While that may be true, the government's own studies clearly state, "obesity shortens life span and therefore obese people die at a much younger age." Am I missing something here? If obese people die at a much younger age wouldn't that mean by checking out early they are saving our system years of coverage? I have to wonder how on earth these so called researchers, being as dumb as they are, even made it to middle age. This entire debate stems from The New England Journal of Medicine's recently published article entitled "The Public Health And Economic Benefits of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages." If you want to read the article, then Google the title and read it for yourself.

I don't like sodas, I don't drink them, and I could care less what people choose to do to their bodies. But this issue isn't really about a soda. That's a smokescreen. This is really about our government finding another way to tax us and take more money away from us. Every time they increase our taxes we are becoming indentured servants. I do believe we should pay taxes to have great schools, keep our roads paved and remove the trash. But I don't agree with the way our government abuses and misuses our money. If I ran my business bookkeeping the way our government runs our country, I would have been out of business within the first year.

Make no mistake; this is a blatant attempt to feel out the public sentiment about taxing foods no matter how they try to disguise it. And frankly, no matter what the reason, I'm adamantly against another tax of any kind. Take a moment to look over the list I compiled on all the taxes you already pay. Then ask yourself the question, "should sugary drinks or any other foods be taxed?"

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
Capital Gains Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Court Fines (indirect taxes)
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Interest Expense (tax on the money)
Inventory Tax I
RS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Local Income Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Road Toll Booth Taxes
Road Usage Taxes (truckers)
Sales Taxes
School Tax
Septic Permit Tax
Service Charge Taxes
Social Security Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Toll Bridge Taxes Toll
Tunnel Taxes
Trailer Registration
Tax Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers' Compensation Tax

There are a couple of additional points of which I take issue. Did anyone really need to conduct a study to determine that sugary drinks cause a weight gain? Why did it take 7 prominent scholars to conduct a study on the health ramifications of drinking too many sugary beverages? My mom told me years ago that drinking them was bad for me and she didn't have credentials like Ph.D., M.D., and M.P.H. etc. behind her name. WE ALL KNOW HIGH SUGAR DRINKS CAUSE POOR HEALTH AND OBESITY!

Finally, at what point did America shift from a country based on liberty and freedom to one dictating what we choose to eat through taxation? Do sugary beverages make people obese, or do people make themselves obese?

Are sugary beverages solely responsible for obesity? The obvious answer is no. Since they are not solely responsible for obesity and all of our health care problems, then how can some of our elected officials feel justified in creating a tax upon them? Since all foods can potentially cause obesity wouldn't it make sense to either tax all foods or none? Amazingly, one government-sponsored questionnaire found that 79% of Americans are in support of a sugary beverage tax. Where do you really think this tax is headed? Whether you are for or against health care reform isn't the issue here, the real issue is do you think your groceries should start being taxed or not?

Tell me what you think by going to www.eatingmanagement.com and let everyone know your thoughts in our new blog.