The New York Daily News reports that New York City Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn) has proposed that the city help to battle obesity by imposing a one percent "fat tax" on junk food, video games and "television commercials that tout fatty treats."
In its inimitable fashion, the Daily News writes that "Ortiz said he's determined to introduce the anti-lard levy by Friday because too many New York children are too chubby for their own good. He noted that one of every five students is a fatty." At a recent hearing, Ortiz made his point by introducing three youngsters under 10 with 40-inch waists.
The paper notes that there seems to be little if any support for the proposal among either the populace or other legislators. "New York's most pressing fat problem is the fat in the state budget," said Matt Maguire, a spokesman for the state Business Council.
In its inimitable fashion, the Daily News writes that "Ortiz said he's determined to introduce the anti-lard levy by Friday because too many New York children are too chubby for their own good. He noted that one of every five students is a fatty." At a recent hearing, Ortiz made his point by introducing three youngsters under 10 with 40-inch waists.
The paper notes that there seems to be little if any support for the proposal among either the populace or other legislators. "New York's most pressing fat problem is the fat in the state budget," said Matt Maguire, a spokesman for the state Business Council.
- KC's View:
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The Daily News does not note that Ortiz's proposal doesn't exactly come in a vacuum - a so-called "fat tax" has been discussed in places as far away as Australia, and there seems to be a slow but growing momentum towards the concept as a way of helping to deal with the obesity issue.
That doesn't mean we support it. But we wouldn't be surprised to see one of these bills passed one of these days.
