I simply do not get it.

Why people are so eager to add any taxes at all?
Don't you understand - it will !!! impact you, no matter what the party leaders say to you!

The only people that are impacted by it are consumers as the government taxes are shifted onto them by the producers.

Aren't you a consumer?

I am all FOR taxing poor lifestyle choices!!!!!!!
I don't buy cigarettes, it doesn't affect me, and I really don't care how it affects other smokers - mabe will be a deterrent. Those cigarette taxes are used for lots of great programs
I am all for taxing soft drinks - I never buy them , so I don't care how it affects a budget ofthose who make such poor nutritional choice. But I do care about their health.
I would also like a tax on ALL twinkies, chips, - all that other nutritional garbage - and have that tax used to subsidize broccoli, apples, strawberries and making them more affordable.
Make junk expensive and heathy food cheaper - we all will be healthier. And then healt care will be cheaper too - since most illness and causes of death are directly related to poor lifestyle choices.
I would call it irresponsibility tax. And those of us who make good choices will not feel that we are paying for those making poor choices - they will be paying themselves.

Taxing unhealthy life styles? Great idea.
Your dog can get rabies from the raccoon and bring it you. Let's tax the dog owners.
There are also serious health risks associated with athletic activities, ERs are full of people with sports injuries - let's tax them, and while we are at it, let's tax all the sports equipment.

I'mfine with taxing unhealthy behavior... while we're at it, lets add all those sun/tanning salon worshippers to the list (H)

dogs are good for mental health and sports are good for you -period.
What Oleg described - are side effects:-).
let's so far focus on Twinkie tax:-D

But if you start taxing Twinkies, then you'll need to tax a Le Petit Ecolier also, and if you tax Coke you also need to tax Orangina. Which will be just another tax that will hurt businesses while making Twinkies eaters poorer.

Which will be just another tax that will hurt businesses while making Twinkies eaters poorer.
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Or it might just force Twinkie eaters to either make healthier choices or just consume less Twinkies. Look at what happens when gas prices go up...

Why don't we let our elected officials to create a 5-years plan and choosewhat and how much to produce? It will be easier to handle the economy. Back to the USSR.:-D

Svetlana, this is the greatest idea I have heard!!!!! I always knew you were a genius!

Well, we already have something along those lines - Agricultural Subsidies. In fact, in 2002, Bush signed a $190 billion farm bill, expanding subsidies to growers...