Apr 30, 2008 7:29 pm US/Eastern
New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Tax On Fast Food
'Sin' Tax Could Help Fund Struggling Hospitals
NEWARK, N.J. (CBS) ―
The sputtering economy has caused an increase in prices of many staples including gasoline, rice, ice cream, even beer. Now some lawmakers in New Jersey are considering taking food taxes a step further and install a proverbial "sin" tax on fast food.
Yes, the idea of marking up your favorite fast food burger or pack of fries is actually being tossed around, and it's not settling well with many residents.
"They're taxing everything. Now you're gonna tax fast food? That's crazy," said Newark resident Miriam Robertson.
Added Livingston resident Tina Abrahamian: "No one wants to be taxed. I mean, it's a necessity to eat and people need to eat and with everything skyrocketing, that's the last thing we want to tax."
The thought of taxing a Big Mac or a Wendy's burger came up at a New Jersey Hospital Association meeting where Gov. Jon S. Corzine was asked if it could be an option to help fund struggling hospitals. At the meeting, he reportedly called it a "constructive suggestion."
A spokesperson for the governor, however, told CBS 2 on Wednesday:
"The governor is open to reasonable solutions to help solve our financing problems, but there are no plans for any fast food tax."
State Sen. Richard Codey has been quoted as saying a tax on fast food "is a tax on the poor." And plenty of residents agree.
"[It cost] $12.86 for [fries] and this little chicken wrap, and they want to tax that? You're serious?" asked Newark resident Saladine Fuller. "If they raise it, I'll stop buying it."
Still, some say taxing fast food isn't such a bad idea.
"I think this country has gone too much in the direction of fast and unhealthy food, and if people are taxed they may terminate that and turn toward more healthy foods," said West Orange resident Maureen Felix.
For now, the fast food tax is just an idea. Detroit lawmakers once toyed with it, but it never passed into law.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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