All,
Hello, I'm new to the list. Funny thing... I just read that article
last night all cozied up in my bed as I just got the AM in the mail
yesterday. While very amusing, the most glaring defect was that his
premise for the fat tax doesn't seem to hold. That premise being: fat
people cost society money in increased health care expenses. While I'm
certain that may be true for obese middle aged individuals, it is important
to remember one thing... these people are going to die much quicker. I'm
sure y'all have heard this argument as it relates to smokers, and I'm sure
that it works with the obese as well. That is, dying before you get old is
best thing you can possibly do for society right now. With Social
Security and Medicare set up the way they are, if anything we should be
encouraging obesity.
-Bill
William M. Butterfield
Research Analyst
MultiState Assoc. Inc.
Phone: (703) 684-1110
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"Alex T
Tabarrok" To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<atabarro@gmu. cc:
edu> Subject: fat tax
Sent by:
owner-ARMCHAIR
@gmu.edu
11/20/2002
03:45 PM
Please respond
to ARMCHAIR
Jonathan Rauch has a very clever piece on the recent idea to tax fat
foods. Only Rauch has a much "better" idea. Now why didn't I think of
that?
Alex
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2002/12/rauch.htm
--
Alexander Tabarrok
Department of Economics, MSN 1D3
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA, 22030
Tel. 703-993-2314
and
Director of Research
The Independent Institute
100 Swan Way
Oakland, CA, 94621
Tel. 510-632-1366
