I am amazed at the idiocy around using taxation to control behavior.  Cigarette taxes are the most obvious ’sin’ tax of course, but the reality is that such sin taxes create a convenient source of revenue for governments.  They can take a behavior or habit and attach a tax to it, justified with some presentation of serving the greater good, when in reality it is governmental greed.  Consider the billions generated in Federal, State and local tobacco taxes.  Assuming that the stated intention of all these authorities, to fund smoking cessation programs, actually succeeds, the government would suddenly find a rich source of revenue dried up and gone.  Put simply, if people actually quit smoking completely, the result would be devastated economies all over the nation.  Think they want you to quit?  Think again.

Why do you think they will not just ban production and sale of tobacco? 

So here comes New York, fresh and energized after its trans fat ban, to offer us the next round of nannyism.

We thought the ban on trans-fats in New York City restaurants was bad enough, but now New York Governor David Paterson has apparently decided to one-up Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  Paterson has proposed an “obesity tax” — surcharges on foods that don’t meet with the approval of the Empire State Board of Regulating Your Food Choices.  It will start with sodas, but it won’t end there:

A can of Coke could soon cost New Yorkers more than just calories.

Gov. Paterson, as part of a $121 billion budget to be unveiled Tuesday, will propose an “obesity tax” of about 15% on nondiet drinks.

This means a Diet Coke might sell for a $1 - even as the same size bottle of its calorie-rich alter ego would go for $1.15.

…

Of course, the nanny-state advocates love the idea:

Public health advocates welcomed news of the tax, saying it would help the fight against childhood obesity.

“Raising the price of this liquid candy will put children and teens on a path to a healthier diet,” said Elie Ward of the American Academy of Pediatrics of New York State.

Here, put simply is the real question:

Since when did that become the responsibility of government?  Parents have that responsibility.  If the AAP wants to get government involved in the beverage issue, they can have them pull the vending machines out of schools, which sell the sodas to the kids. 

Which, by the way, they have done locally, with no real effect on obesity, but a huge impact on revenue.  Maybe that’s why NY did a tax instead of a ban, hmm?

Update: Don Surber notes that West Virginia has had a soft-drink tax for 50 years:

West Virginia imposed one more than 50 years ago.

West Virginia is the second fattest state in the country.

Thank God, once again, for Mississippi.

No reason to believe this will end any different.

Of course, this is just one of a slew of new taxes on the roll in NY:

Gov. David Paterson unveils dire New York State budget that includes new taxes, layoffs and cuts

What a great response to an economic down turn…

ALBANY - Gov. Paterson’s proposed $121 billion budget hits New Yorkers in their iPods - and nickels-and-dimes them in lots of other places, too.

Trying to close a $15.4 billion budget gap, Paterson called for 88 new fees and a host of other taxes, including an “iPod tax” that taxes the sale of downloaded music and other “digitally delivered entertainment services.”

I am surprised it took them this long to realize that they were not getting a piece of iTunes’ pie…

The proposal, which needs legislative approval, did not include broad-based income tax increases, but relied on smaller ones to raise $4.1 billion from cash-strapped New Yorkers.

Movie tickets, taxi rides, soda, beer, wine, cigars and massages would be taxed under Paterson’s proposal. It also extends sales taxes to cable and satellite TV services and removes the tax exemption for clothes costing less than $110.

Sin taxes, essentially.  And not too happily recieved…

“The governor is nickel-and-diming working class families,” said Ron Deutsch, executive director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, an advocacy group.

State Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long warned that reinstating the sales tax on clothing and shoes will drive people to New Jersey, where they will also gas up their cars and pick up their wine, spirits and soda because the prices are less due to lower taxes. “You’re sending notice to the people of New York that we really don’t want you here,” Long said. “The governor proposed flat spending, but why not actually cut the budget before raising taxes and fees?”

Next will be fines for ‘bootlegging’ your clothing and liquor from NJ…Don’t laugh, Washington does it if you try to buy your cigarettes out of state or on reservations to beat the high taxes here.

Paterson also made some cuts:

Paterson’s 2009-10 budget proposal represents only a 1% increase in total spending from this year’s budget - the smallest increase in a dozen years. It also calls for:

A 3.3%, or $698 million, reduction in school aid.

$3.5 billion in health care savings, including reductions in payments to hospitals and nursing homes.

Layoffs for 521 state workers and the elimination of seven state agencies.

 But there is some good news:  He added some perks…

Video slot machines at Belmont Park, more multistate lottery games and expanded hours for the state’s Quick Draw lottery game.

Add more vices and then tax em.  Gotcha.

“I don’t know that 100% of it is going to go the classroom, but a large percentage of any reduction we get from the state will go to the classroom,” Bloomberg said. “That will mean larger class sizes and fewer services.”

Obviously teacher’s pay will be exempt… And here is the real gripe:  none of this hurts the rich enough.

“We will be fighting this tooth and nail. We think it is irresponsible to make this level of cuts and not ask the wealthiest New Yorkers to help ease the pain,” said Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who supports a so-called millionaire tax, has said he’d “rather have a broad-based tax than nickel-and-dime” people.

Well at least income tax is not on the table….

Paterson did not rule out income tax increases but said spending reductions are the priority. He also defended the fee and sales tax increases, saying they would be less harmful to the state’s economy.

…Ok, so they are not OFF the table either.

“If you start taxing at times when [revenues are] receding, you’ll drive job creators out of the state,” Paterson said.

Uh…isn’t that exactly what you are doing?

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