Mayor Brown Would Like To Tax Your Hamburger

From the San Francisco Gate via the Agitator:

Mayor Jerry Brown has suggested one way the state could generate more revenue and solve its budget woes is to levy taxes on unhealthy behaviors such as drinking and eating junk food.
In an interview Thursday, Brown said “there are a number of activities” that could be taxed and suggested a tax on people who eat salty and sugary foods as well as “a tippler tax on those who drink at the bar.”
His spokeswoman, T.T. Nhu, said today that Brown thinks “it would be beneficial to have a junk food tax” and he’s been influenced by policies in Canada, which taxes chocolate in addition to alcohol and cigarettes.

Hmmm, the government coffers need an infusion of cash. Lets levy a tax against people who enjoy things like sugar and salt instead of cutting spending for silly programs like drivers licenses for illegal aliens.
That makes a lot of sense.
As Mr. Balko (who, by the way, is also the author of the Agitator) points out in the article, at least Brown is being partially honest about his proposed “sin” taxes. Most of the time politicians try to tell us that these taxes are intended to curb the activity being taxed, such as smoking or drinking. In reality, sin taxes have almost no impact on the number of people performing the activity being taxed. Instead, they’re just making it more expensive for the ordinary citizen to perform the legal, but perhaps not exactly healthful, activities that they enjoy.
This latest idea from Mayor Brown is just another example of how far our society has turned away from individual freedoms. Every time you vote in favor of a smoking ban or some other silly bit of legislation you’re lending support for people like Brown who would like nothing better than to micromanage every little thing you put in your body.
Don’t let that happen. Don’t support lawsuits that hold the gun, alcohol and fast food industries responsible for the misdeeds of individuals. Humans have been taking care of themselves for thousands of years, we don’t need government intervention now.