re: #410 Sharmuta

I’m not very big on using taxation as a means to control behavior, but I don’t think that’s what sin taxes end up doing anyways. If a person wants it enough, they’ll pay extra to get it, and I think that’s what the government is tapping into more than trying to control our “sin”.

Few people complain about the tax revenue generated by tobacco and alcohol (physically addictive substances…and potentially deadly to boot), or casino gambling (psychologically addictive and invariable lead to a huge increase in bankruptcies wherever they open their doors). I am just not buying the idea that 5 cents per Mountain Dew is a step too far down the slippery slope.