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05.02.2014 0

A ‘zero-for-zero’ tariff policy would fill sugar bowls rather than tax coffers

sugarThis is an excerpt from an article originally published on WashingtonTimes.com.

By Jim Martin

Liberals’ latest assault on consumer freedom could soon target the packet of sugar you put in your morning coffee. Like most big-government power plays, the main objective appears to be fattening government coffers at taxpayers expense.

As crazy as it sounds, the scheme to tax sugar and artificially inflate the price of food was summed up in a February editorial in The Washington Post. The reasoning goes something like this: If we tax sugar to the point that it’s too expensive to afford, then overweight consumers will be forced to eat fresh apples instead of apple pies.

Under the veil of fighting obesity, The Post reveals the true objective, stating, “the federal Treasury would benefit from the tax revenue.”

Notwithstanding the obvious issues with the government’s money-grab, the nanny-state mentality or the widespread economic harm caused by raising food prices, there is one big problem with this logic. Sugar is a staple of the human diet that has been consumed safely for 2,000 years, and the last time U.S. consumers couldn’t find it, everyone suffered.

Americans old enough to remember World War II (like yours truly) probably remember five years of sugar rationing, which is celebrating a dubious 72nd anniversary this month.

Rationing didn’t just mean Americans had to sacrifice the occasional chocolate bar or dessert. Sugar is a bulking agent, preservative and tenderizer found in nearly everything, so when America had to ration sugar, it also meant having less bread, yogurt, cereal, jams and spices, too.

We learned a pretty important lesson back then: They’re called staple crops for a reason, and without access to them people are punished through higher prices and unnecessary shortages.

That liberals are so eager to dictate to Americans what they should and should not do is nothing new, but regulating the food staples in our cupboards is crossing a line that puts America eerily on par with nations such as Soviet-era Russia.

 Get full story here.

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