News yesterday that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer wants to charge obese constituents $50 for being fat if they are on Medicaid. Ditto if they smoke. Never mind the fact that the people who are facing this tax are only those who earn less then $15,000 per year for a two-person family. And the fat people must toe the line and observe a fat doctor's slimming regimen.
Don't hold your breath waiting for the right to recognize their double standards and hypocrisy on this issue. Just two weeks ago the Arizona house passed a bill making it illegal for local governments to ban toy giveaways at fast food restaurants.
Keep the poor workers fat on junk food and then tax them to death. The ones you failed to deport or haven't cut off medical funding for anyway. Way to balance the budget. Nice limited government. You might as well tax people for their wrinkles.
7 comments:
I believe in virtually nothing that Gov Brewer believes in, however, on this one, I have to side with her. People need to be responsible and accountable for their behavior... or mis-behavior, as the case may be. A small monetary incentive may help some people to clean up their act. Obesity and smoking cost this society tremendous amounts of $$$.Maybe this will get the attention of some of those folks who don't take care of themselves. This program will lengthen and improve the quality of their lives and potentially save all of us a lot of money.
How can obese people get in touch with Sanoguy so he can help them with financial aid for better food? Correct or not, health food is not exactely cheap.
To Anonymous..... A healthy diet and exercise need not be expensive. Stop the junk food and they will save a bunch. The money they save on cigarettes can be used to supplement their food diet.
From Anon to Sanoguy;
Of course I was being tongue and cheek with you, but poor people eat junk food because it is the available food. Not alot of healthy food available.
Cigarettes another weird problem- highly addictive. Not trying to justify eating crap meals or smoking, just stating a glaring problem for low income folks.
Poor people tend to be uneducated and down on thier luck. Not exactely ones to change diet or habits without govt. programs to help them. Government programs cost money.....
Maybe govt. programs targeted at healthful living would pay for themselves over time.
Couldn't see the tongue in your cheek!!
'hidden by my foot.
Here is a link to an LA Times editorial, dated 4-11-11, that is on-point to this very issue:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-obesity-20110411,0,3157293.story
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