Quote:
Originally Posted by Xazy
Article
It is an interesting idea to fight obesity. The question is does the government have the right to tell us what to use our money for. Then what if it is money given to us by the government, can it say we want you to buy what we feel is the healthy choice. Personally I think it is a very slippery slope.
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It's an interesting idea, but it's completely improper.
First of all, like Xazy says, where does it end? No sugary drinks. What about snack cakes? Salty snacks? Fatty meats? Butter? Caffeinated beverages? Non-organic produce? Will the law ever be satisfied until and unless poor people are using their food stamps with the consultation of a nutritionist? Or at some point will the government just make it easy on the bureaucrats and demand that everyone on food stamps be vegans? I'm sorry, but you can't do that in a free society.
Second of all, if the problem is obesity among the poor, can you get exemptions from these bans on what you can buy with food stamps if you prove that you spend a certain number of hours working out? What if you have a naturally high metabolism? If not, then isn't that unduly restrictive? And if so, isn't it just discriminatory?
If a certain food product is really that bad for people, the best way to deal with it legally isn't to bar food stamp users from purchasing it per se, it's to slap a fat surtax on it, universally, which is not covered by food stamps. Makes it more expensive for everyone, and financially impractical for the poor. Use the revenue to help fund school lunches and public health care.