New York Non-Diet Soda Tax

[Methais]

I've heard bits and piece about this on the radio (don't even know if it passed yet or what its status is), but apparently they're wanting to put a big tax on any soda that's not diet in New York, and are trying to justify it as a method of fighting obesity, because they're concerned for peoples' health or some ridiculous bullshit like that.

What I wanna know is why hasn't anyone presented the aspartame argument to them about how diet soda is actually worse for you than regular soda and how aspartame apparently can cause cancer and contributes to weigh gain much worse than non diet soda, and bring up the whole controversy from when aspartame was FDA approved, with those FDA lawyers literally being bought out by the aspartame's people, leaving the FDA and going to work for them.

Or if that argument has come up, what was the government's response to it?

I learned about the whole aspartame thing from this thread, so if I'm way off on all this it's because you people are dumb:

http://forum.gsplayers.com/showthread.php?t=30711&highlight=aspartame

EDIT: Just went back and read it and it was mostly from Necromancer, so uh....who knows now.

[Sean of the Thread]

NY actuallly sucks and evidently I'm making a trip up there very soon.

[Bobmuhthol]

Yeah, you're kind of taking information from someone who says:


I'm going to smack you for poisoning your body and being so wholly uninformed about nutrition.

Juice does not have simple carbohydrates- it has complex carbohydrates.

*Complex carbohydrates are the best form of energy for the body and do not cause weight gain*.

Because as we all know, an intake of super awesome calories gives you free energy at no expense, but evil simple carbs just make you fat with no benefit.

[Methais]

Yeah, you're kind of taking information from someone who says:



Because as we all know, an intake of super awesome calories gives you free energy at no expense, but evil simple carbs just make you fat with no benefit.


EDIT: Just went back and read it and it was mostly from Necromancer, so uh....who knows now

^

[Bobmuhthol]

Well, at least aspartame is questionably unhealthy, but definitely not to the extent that Necromancer would have you believe. Aspartame will definitely break down into methanol, among other chemicals. However, the amount of methanol isn't enough to cause damage. Necromancer is half right in saying aspartame becomes formaldehyde, but that is a product of the breakdown of methanol. Again, the quantities are not enough to be concerned within reason.

If anyone is concerned about methanol being a product of the digestion of aspartame, you should probably realize that there is methanol in the atmosphere. Also, methanol and formaldehyde are naturally occurring chemicals during digestion; the body can deal with it. There's methanol in your alcohol, too, but last I checked alcohol is a huge industry.

[Methais]

There's methanol in your alcohol, too, but last I checked alcohol is a huge industry.

Well....how many times have you gotten laid because some chick drank a bunch of diet soda?

How many times have you gotten laid because some chick drank a bunch of alcohol?

[Stanley Burrell]

I think it's awesome because The Yankees got the Fat Man.

[Gan]

Well....how many times have you gotten laid because some chick drank a bunch of diet soda?

How many times have you gotten laid because some chick drank a bunch of alcohol?

And how many times have you gotten laid because some chick drank a bunch of diet soda and alcohol mixed?

[Methais]

And how many times have you gotten laid because some chick drank a bunch of diet soda and alcohol mixed?

It wasn't the diet soda in her drink that got her horny. If it was, I'd like to know what brand so I can stock up.

[Daniel]

And how many times have you gotten laid because some chick drank a bunch of diet soda and alcohol mixed?

Yea, but they're far more likely to drink strawberry kiwi mango splash.

So it's a toss up.

[Deathravin]

Well, at least aspartame is questionably unhealthy, but definitely not to the extent that Necromancer would have you believe. Aspartame will definitely break down into methanol, among other chemicals. However, the amount of methanol isn't enough to cause damage. Necromancer is half right in saying aspartame becomes formaldehyde, but that is a product of the breakdown of methanol. Again, the quantities are not enough to be concerned within reason.

If anyone is concerned about methanol being a product of the digestion of aspartame, you should probably realize that there is methanol in the atmosphere. Also, methanol and formaldehyde are naturally occurring chemicals during digestion; the body can deal with it. There's methanol in your alcohol, too, but last I checked alcohol is a huge industry.

Whenever I have the smallest bit of Aspartame, I have a migraine for a week.

Although, whenever I eat too much watermelon, I have a migraine for a week too.


My boss had some life savers out on his desk. I am a 'leap before you look' type of person most of the time, and I ate one. Next morning I couldn't open my eyes. Called in for the next 2 days and went in to work with a headache for the rest of the week. I thought about what could have caused it and read the life saver's package, and sure enough... nutra-sweet.

[Gan]

It wasn't the diet soda in her drink that got her horny. If it was, I'd like to know what brand so I can stock up.
You mean you have to have alcohol to make chicks horny?

[Methais]

You mean you have to have alcohol to make chicks horny?

No, but to deny its value and role in vaginal conquest (or cock conquest if you're a fat chick) throughout the world would be wrong.

[Tea & Strumpets]

It's a "sin tax" or whatever they call it, like the ones on liquor and tobacco. I'm sure those billions in taxes have all gone directly to pay healthcare costs, and I'm sure the the soda tax profits will be just as conscientiously applied.

The government only taxes tobacco and alcohol for our own good, and to cover the expenses that these poisons cause. I'm looking forward to future taxes on salt & sugar, and minimum exercise requirements.

[Methais]

How long you think til the McDonald's tax and the fart tax?

[Bobmuhthol]

<<So where's the McDonald's tax then?>>

When I was in New York the meal tax was like 9%.

[Methais]

When I was in New York the meal tax was like 9%.

Meal tax != McDonald's tax (not McDonald's specifically, just fast food trash in general). Unless Subway's < 6g fat subs were exempt or something.

[Mabus]

I'm sure those billions in taxes have all gone directly to pay healthcare costs, and I'm sure the the soda tax profits will be just as conscientiously applied.
Pretty sure this was sarcasm, but just wanted to add some local flavor:

In Cleveland we have a $.05 per cigarette tax (that's right, a buck a pack on top of the county, state and federal taxes) to fund the fine arts. Because we all know cigarette smokers should be funding the ballet and opera that they all so often attend. This tax was added after the "sin" tax on alcohol and cigarettes that was used to build the football stadium and basketball arena (neither of which allow smoking) had expired. No extra tax on cigars or pipe smoke in that legislation, as rich political contributors and politicians prefer those types of smoke, and prefer not to pay the extra taxes (imo).

In state news the tobacco settlement funds from the multi-state lawsuit were shifted to the general fund because of a budget shortfall, ending most state-funded smoking cessation programs.

Go New York soda taxes!

Go Boston tea parties!

[Keller]

No extra tax on cigars or pipe smoke in that legislation, as rich political contributors and politicians prefer those types of smoke, and prefer not to pay the extra taxes (imo).


That's weak. I bet it's a fairly widespread offense, but I'm just guessing.

[Methais]

In Cleveland we have a $.05 per cigarette tax (that's right, a buck a pack on top of the county, state and federal taxes) to fund the fine arts. Because we all know cigarette smokers should be funding the ballet and opera that they all so often attend.

People should protest the fact that smoking isn't permitted at the ballet or opera when smoking is the thing funding it, and do so until they either remove the tax or allow smoking at the opera.

[Keller]

People should protest the fact that smoking isn't permitted at the ballet or opera when smoking is the thing funding it, and do so until they either remove the tax or allow smoking at the opera.

What about lotteries, which in many states fund public schools.

Should people protest the fact that lotteries aren't permitted in public schools?

[Methais]

No, because school kids aren't old enough to gamble.

[Bobmuhthol]

o rly? No 18 year old seniors?

[Keller]

No, because school kids aren't old enough to gamble.

And the teachers?

I'm just being a dick, to be honest.

[Methais]

o rly? No 18 year old seniors?

Last I checked, even seniors got in trouble for smoking at school.


And the teachers?

No, because they should be setting an example for their students to not gamble.


I'm just being a dick, to be honest.

Me too.

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/imgs/artists/reeder_scott/scott_reeder_american_dick.jpg

[Bobmuhthol]

<<Last I checked, even seniors got in trouble for smoking at school.>>

Yeah, because it's illegal to smoke on public school campuses, but how does that impact anything?

[Tea & Strumpets]

<<Last I checked, even seniors got in trouble for smoking at school.>>

Yeah, because it's illegal to smoke on public school campuses, but how does that impact anything?

"Nitpicking is no way to win an argument because it alienates your audience. The person you are arguing with then has to explain how you misinterpreted what he was trying to express, and inevitably whatever was originally discussed is lost in the back and forth of bickering." ---Thomas Jefferson*



*Not really, but I didn't want anyone to argue with me.

[Methais]

<<Last I checked, even seniors got in trouble for smoking at school.>>

Yeah, because it's illegal to smoke on public school campuses, but how does that impact anything?

When I was in high school, teachers could still smoke in the lounge, and no students were allowed to smoke at all.

That was the last time I checked, which was at least 12 years ago. The world has become a lot gayer since then. You could still recite the Pledge of Allegiance back then without being persecuted, for example.

[TheRunt]

My highschool had a smoking section. But you had to be 18 or have a signed permission slip from your parent.

[Clove]

o rly? No 18 year old seniors?You have to be 21 to gamble in this state.

[Bobmuhthol]

I don't think any New England state has a minimum gambling age of 21 for lotteries? You need to be 21 to gamble at casinos because they're not too upset about losing the 18-20 market as a trade off for not having to worry about serving alcohol to underage people.

[Celephais]

I don't think any New England state has a minimum gambling age of 21 for lotteries? You need to be 21 to gamble at casinos because they're not too upset about losing the 18-20 market as a trade off for not having to worry about serving alcohol to underage people.
I'm pretty sure it's not the casino's choice... I think there are weird stipulations around the type of gambling you can do 18-20.

[ElanthianSiren]

As far as I know, nutrasweet breaks down into formaldehyde at temperatures above 95 degrees F and causes preferential fat distribution in both sexes in areas generally considered undesirable. Splenda is also a nuerotoxin, and saccharine has been a known carcinogen for years.

This tax, along with most other lifestyle taxes, IMO will be inefficient at stopping the problem and is based mainly on capitalizing on peoples' perception. Go us vs. them mentality! I'm sure that'll fix the state's economy.

edit: Of the three, the only one I'll use is splenda, but I do so knowing it's made by replacing the hydroxide group in sugar with a chloride and limiting my intake. Sometimes you have to pick the lesser of the two evils for you individually. For another person, sugar might be the lesser of the two evils. For a phenylketoneuric (regarding nutrasweet/aspartame), the lesser evil is definitely sugar.

[Celephais]

So how does this work with things like fountain drinks? And if you get are they going to have to ask you "are you getting a diet soda?" when you order a subway meal deal?

[Clove]

I don't think any New England state has a minimum gambling age of 21 for lotteries? You need to be 21 to gamble at casinos because they're not too upset about losing the 18-20 market as a trade off for not having to worry about serving alcohol to underage people..
"Nitpicking is no way to win an argument because it alienates your audience. The person you are arguing with then has to explain how you misinterpreted what he was trying to express, and inevitably whatever was originally discussed is lost in the back and forth of bickering." ---Thomas Jefferson*
.

You have to be 21 to gamble in this state.
.

I'm just being a dick, to be honest.

Srsly. Learn to quote.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<I'm pretty sure it's not the casino's choice... I think there are weird stipulations around the type of gambling you can do 18-20.>>

Sticking with the New York theme of the thread, casinos in New York have a minimum gambling age of 18 but the Seneca casinos have a minimum of 21. It's state mandated, in any event, so there's no universal law.

[Clove]

I don't know, I figure gambling has as much to do about this thread as New England.

[Numbers]

I used to eat saccharine as a kid.

SHIT!