Agreed. Too bad we can’t get sin taxes to fall under seperation of church and state!
manhattan, I completely agree with you about the privatizing of rubbish cartage in municipal areas. My OP was overly restrictive in addressing the manifold impacts of that new cookie product. I’d also be interested to hear your assessment of how overall increases in energy consumption are subsequently shouldered by nonparticipatory consumers. While I prize very much our freedom to consume, I am also wary of unrestrained manufacturing when it flagrantly flies in the face of obviously sound environmental practices. Again, this goes well beyond the scope of mere waste generation and into the realm of improperly distributed financial burden upon those who have no part or benefit from these selfsame products.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Zenster *
please refrain from mischaracterizing my own position just because you are dissatisfied with current government policy.
But that seems to be your position. You want to change peoples behavior (i.e., producing so much garbage) by persuading them to not purchase items that produce more garbage, doing this by using a tax. How am I mischaracterizing your position?
the American public is one of the most wasteful assemblages on earth and until that changes there is little option but to dissuade such a disposable mentality via financial penalty.
Like I said: behavior modification via taxation. You said it. How am I mischaracterizing your position?
We are a prosperous people. We consume. Consuming causes waste. Taxing, on a the basis of consuming = punishing prosperty. My theory, no cite. but I’ll bet the average American wouldn’t like to pay extra for a package of cookies simply because of the type of packaging they’re in. Convince 51% of your idea and I’ll shut up.