The Fat Police are Comin' for Ya

So I'm reading a CNN-Online article about the new round of Nanny-State taxes being proposed by the governor of New York(aka the Nanny-State Mother Ship), David Patterson...I'm sure you've all heard about this by now. He's wanting to tax sodas containing sugar to help stop the "epidemic" of obesity, using the laughable "logic" that high taxes on cigarettes reduced the amount of smokers. Ask any cigarette smoker and they'll laugh hysterically at the idea that higher taxes would keep them from their smokes.

But I digress. While the notion of any nanny-state taxes, ordinance, or other gets me riled, what really got my goat was the reader comments from the "Healthier-Than-Thou" crowd condemning fatsos like me and blaming The Donut Nation for high health insurance premiums. They applaud the governor for his fatty-tax and offered up even more suggestions to punish the metabolism-impaired, like charging "obese" airline passengers double airfare because their disgusting love-handles might ooze over into adjoining seats on the plane. "Why should I pay high insurance rates because YOU are OBESE?!?"...they scream.

Well, never mind that they don't consider who defines "obese"...the same simple-minded mentality that's in favor of heavily taxing "The Rich"...don't get me started on that. Those that set the insurance rates are concerned with risk, nothing else. So yes, those of us in The Donut Nation do engage in risky behavior. Therefore, we should be taxed to discourage our risky behavior, right? Stop and think carefully about that one before you start enthusiastically nodding your head. I'll give you Fatty-Tax supporters a moment to digest the thought.

*Scarfs another donut*

Risky behavior. Yes, even you Healthier-Than-Thous engage in risky behavior that affects MY insurance premiums. When you're jogging downtown sucking in car farts, rock climbing, playing rugby, cycling on the busy streets of Fort Worth...putting yourself at RISK. Should we tax your ten-speeds or issue you traffic tickets to discourage where you ride? How about imposing taxes on your rugby league? Here's a citation for choosing to jog within 100 feet of car exhaust fumes.

Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Well folks, those are the doors that get opened when you support "behavior taxes"...not so gratifying when your behavior is being targeted, now is it?