I think the reform effort is almost a lost cause, now. Probably anything we get out of this will be weak and pointless and will be akin to Bush's victory in Iraq -- a victory in semantics, not reality. But I think this could be an easy and real victory for Democrats if the Republicans don't come on board...
I remember all the fuss Republicans kicked up at the notion of a tax on soft drinks. "We can't even drink soda anymore!" Screw that. I'd be putting a 1% tax on every soft drink, candy, fast-food item, and any edible that exceeds 33% the recommended daily allowance of saturated fat, sugars, or sodium per unit/serving size. And that's what I'd use to help fund this thing.
Put that in the bill and watch the Republicans go crazy. And then you've teed yourself up for this point:
My God, there's a party in this country right now who believes that mainlining flavored corn syrup is a basic human right, but good healthcare -- well, that's reserved for the elite!
But that ain't gonna happen, because it would be too effective politically, fiscally, and in terms of improving the health of our citizens.
I remember all the fuss Republicans kicked up at the notion of a tax on soft drinks. "We can't even drink soda anymore!" Screw that. I'd be putting a 1% tax on every soft drink, candy, fast-food item, and any edible that exceeds 33% the recommended daily allowance of saturated fat, sugars, or sodium per unit/serving size. And that's what I'd use to help fund this thing.
Put that in the bill and watch the Republicans go crazy. And then you've teed yourself up for this point:
My God, there's a party in this country right now who believes that mainlining flavored corn syrup is a basic human right, but good healthcare -- well, that's reserved for the elite!
But that ain't gonna happen, because it would be too effective politically, fiscally, and in terms of improving the health of our citizens.
