Topic: agricultural subsidies

If Banning Big Soda Makes You Mad, The Price Of A Twinkie Should Really Piss You Off

If Banning Big Soda Makes You Mad, The Price Of A Twinkie Should Really Piss You Off

The internet (and our comments’ section) has been aflutter with arguments over Michael Bloomberg‘s plan to ban big sodas from New York city restaurants, theaters, and street food carts. It appears that a lot of people—even those who deplore unhealthy treats like super-sized sodas—get riled up when the government tries to interfere with our access to food. If only people got half as pissed off when they see the price of a Twinkie. More »

Why Americans Against Food Taxes Commercials Don’t Make Sense

Why Americans Against Food Taxes Commercials Don't Make Sense

Today is my first day back from a long vacation (did you miss me?), during which I visited family in Arizona. A few unusual things happened: It was colder there than it has been in the last 100 years; I saw javelinas (maybe not weird for AZ residents, but weird for me); I watched a lot of TV, and saw this commercial from Americans Against Food Taxes.

The first time this woman carted her groceries onto my grandparents’ TV, I looked up from my iPad (vacations = time for seriously addictive games and apps), and strained to understand what she was talking about. “Feeding a family is difficult enough in today’s economy,” she explained. “Now some politicians want the government telling me how I should do it.” She complains about new taxes that these evil, invasive politicians want to place on our groceries – namely, sugar soft drinks – exclaiming: “Give me a break! I can decide what to buy without government help. The government is just getting too involved in our personal lives.” More »