It seems America has a love affair with social engineering through the tax code. From “sin taxes” on things like booze and tobacco to tax deductions for things like buying a hybrid vehicle or installing solar panels, the politicians like to pull financial strings to manipulate our behavior. The latest idea in that vein is…
Kevin Cramer: We Have To Pass A Farm Bill Because The Free Market Is Scary
Back during campaign season I did an interview with Rep. Kevin Cramer, and we talked about the farm bill. Then, as now, the legislation was stuck in the midst of partisan bickering and I asked Cramer if there was really a lot of urgency to pass a farm bill (I quoted a NDSU farm management…
The Senate Farm Bill Is 80% Food Stamps
North Dakota’s Republican and Democrat Senators were today applauding the passage of the Senate version of the Farm Bill. “For the second year in a row, the Senate has voted by a large, bipartisan majority to pass a strong farm bill for American producers and consumers,” Senator Hoeven said in a press release. “It’s strong…
California Anti-Obesity Ad Campaign Photoshops Pictures Of Kids To Make Them Look Fatter
Government health propaganda is bad enough, but how about government health propaganda that features images deliberately manipulated to make a political point? Sponsors of a campaign that’s drawing ire say it’s meant to educate parents and create change since pictures of healthy, smiling kids don’t really work in targeting obesity. This is one before and…
Bizzaro World: According To Senator Heitkamp The American People Are A "Special Interest"
On her official website, Senator Heidi Heitkamp is patting herself on the back for standing up to “special interests” on the floor of the Senate today. Heitkamp was arguing against amendments which would have ended trade protectionism for the sugar industry which keeps the price of sugar inflated by both controlling production to keep prices…
Bankrupt Nation Full Of Fatties Considering Bailout For Big Sugar
Sure. Why not. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering buying 400,000 tons of sugar—enough for 142 billion Hershey’s HSY +0.08% Kisses—to stave off a wave of defaults by sugar processors that borrowed $862 million under a government price-support program. The action aims to prop up tumbling U.S. sugar prices, which have fallen 18% since…
Civil Disobedience: Starbucks Will Defy New York's New Regulation Of Drink Sizes
Today is the last day you can buy large-sized sugary drinks in New York City thanks to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ban, but coffee house giant Starbucks has announced that they’ll be defying the law. Or, maybe defy isn’t the right word. They’re going to continue offering their largest sized drinks based on what they interpret…
Group Wants Government To Micromanage Soda Recipes
There’s no aspect of our day-to-day lives too trivial to escape the micromanagement of nanny statists. Maybe we should just have the government start restaurants, and we can all vote on what sort of foods can be offered. For the good of public health. Soda and other sugary drinks have unsafe levels of high-fructose corn…