Governor Paterson’s
Fat Tax
David Paterson, the Governor of New York State, has created a new Fat Tax.
He is adding an 18% tax to every non-diet soda that we buy.
He even arranged for a YouTube video, to explain this tax:
He claims he is doing this to fight obesity, but he is really doing it to avoid any major cutbacks to Medicaid in New York State.
Forty percent (40%) of the New York State budget goes to Medicaid.
With a state budget of $120 billion, that’s roughly $50 billion a year.
About $15 billion of this money is “unaccounted for.” No one really knows how it is spent, or if it’s spent on health care at all.
Where’s the Medicaid money?
Gov. Paterson should be tracking down this money, but he doesn’t want to annoy SEIU 1999, the Union that benefits from this “missing” money.
So instead, we get videos that treat us like a 5-year old, and another 18% tax hike.
Many people are too fat. Many people should drink less soda.
But Paterson’s little video is no profile in courage.
It’s a “Sin Tax” where no sin has been committed.
It’s a regressive tax, which will take disproportionate amounts of money, from poor and working people.
It’s just the blind leading the blind.
Puerto Rican Guy.
Tags: Fat Tax, Gov. Paterson, Health Care, Medicaid, New York State Budget, Paterson, SEIU 1999
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