NBC 'Today' Panelists Literally Applaud 'Fat Tax' on Food
As co-host Matt Lauer reported Denmark implementing a "fat tax" on certain foods during the "Today's Professionals" panel on Tuesday's NBC "Today," advertising executive Donny Deutsch and NBC chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman literally applauded the move. [Audio available here]
Snyderman then demanded: "...there should be a tax on colas with sugar in it, foods you don't need, the necessities should be cheaper, so that people can get good fruits and vegetables and meats and the junk that's processed should be taxed higher. I have no problem with it at all."
Only panelist and attorney Star Jones disagreed with the government overreach: "I'm just concerned when the government with its long arm tries to tell people that we're not going to help you on the front end deal with the disease of obesity." Snyderman immediately asserted: "But they are helping by doing this." Deutsch similarly balked: "How is that not helping on the front end? That's exactly what they're doing."
Jones, who struggled with her own weight issues, stood her ground: "No, you're not helping anybody, not by taxing. That's not the way that you help people." Snyderman argued: "It worked with cigarettes, absolutely."
Moments later, Deutsch proclaimed: "If you solve obesity you solve the health care problem in this country. And so what's the argument to not making people healthier?" Jones replied: "But we're not trying to make people not healthier, I don't think that the way to do it is by taxing people, especially poor people."
Deutsch maintained: "It's a very smart way to do it....The poor people argument I don't understand. They need the help more than anybody." Jones pointed out the wealthy businessman's arm-chair liberalism: "Just because you're not poor. You ain't been poor in a long time....Walk in the shoes of people that can't find fruits and vegetables."
Here is a full transcript of the October 4 exchange:
8:11AM ET
(...)
MATT LAUER: Move on to food. Denmark has decided to implement what they're calling a fat tax.
[DONNY DEUTSCH AND NANCY SNYDERMAN START CLAPPING]
STAR JONES: Really?
LAUER: Basically you go to the supermarket, you buy a food that has above a certain level of fat, they charge you extra. Alright, do we feel good about this, Doc?
NANCY SNYDERMAN: Absolutely. I mean, look, there should be a tax on colas with sugar in it, foods you don't need, the necessities should be cheaper, so that people can get good fruits and vegetables and meats and the junk that's processed should be taxed higher. I have no problem with it at all.
DONNT DEUTSCH: I'm gonna knock you down.
STAR JONES: No, you can knock me down if you want to, I'm just concerned when the government with its long arm tries to tell people that we're not going to help you on the front end deal with the disease of obesity-
SNYDERMAN: But they are helping by doing this.
DEUTSCH: How is that not helping on the front end? That's exactly what they're doing.
JONES: No, you're not helping anybody, not by taxing. That's not the way that you help people. They're not programmed-
DEUTSCH: By the way, it's already worked.
SNYDERMAN: It worked with cigarettes, absolutely.
DEUTSCH: And by the way, listen to me, listen-
JONES: Where has it already worked? Where has it already worked?
SNYDERMAN: In this country with cigarettes.
DEUTSCH: It's already worked in Denmark, earlier on they've done it.
JONES: Denmark does not have the same level of obesity problem as we do.
DEUTSCH: Exactly, Star, Star-
LAUER: 10% of the population obese, we've got 33%.
SNYDERMAN: 66.
DEUTSCH: If you solve obesity you solve the health care problem in this country.
JONES: I 100% agree with that.
DEUTSCH: And so what's the argument to not making people healthier?
JONES: But we're not trying to make people not healthier, I don't think that the way to do it is by taxing people, especially poor people.
DEUTSCH: It's a very smart way to do it.
JONES: I disagree.
LAUER: Okay, let me just mention, in Denmark-
DEUTSCH: The poor people argument I don't understand. They need the help more than anybody.
JONES: Just because you're not poor. You ain't been poor in a long time.
DEUTSCH: You're right, I'm not poor, but they need – they need more help. They need the help, they're the ones
LAUER: In Denmark-
JONES: Walk in the shoes of people that can't find fruits and vegetables.
DEUTSCH: You're not poor, either, by the way.
JONES: Oh, yes I am.
LAUER: In Denmark, when they announced this new law was going to take place, people started to go to the store and hoard the high-fat foods so they could pay a less fee. So if that happens here, which one of us most likely to hoard butter? You right?
DEUTSCH: Yes.
LAUER: Yes, absolutely
SNYDERMAN: And you can afford it.
(...)
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Comments
But there's sugar in fruit too
Submitted by Mister Orange on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 4:48pm.
Sugar content:
Coca Cola - 10tsp
Orange Juice - 8tsp
Apple Juice - 10tsp
Grape Juice - 15tsp
Bravo Sierra!!!
Submitted by jon_torlin on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 4:53pm.
Snyderman argued: "It worked with cigarettes, absolutely."
Some doctor. If it helped, why are people still buying cigarettes and puffing away? Hell, our office recently became a no-smoking business to where you couldn't take a smoke break outside the office building, you had to go off the grounds(across the street for those of you in rio linda) to smoke.
This "fat tax" is just one more example of a nanny government, especially one like the socialist government of Denmark, forcing their way on people. They would love to have that happen here, just like trying to force the health care on us.(may it be struck down soon!) It's the same damn thing.
-Jon
If we go down this road what's next a "gay" tax?
Submitted by libBuster on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 5:35pm.
Do leftists really want to go down this road. The same arguments the left-wing Snydermann uses can be used to argue for higher tax rates for those who in engage in high risk sexual activities that puts them at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.
There is a very special and very high risk group of left-wing protected individuals who engages in high risk conduct where the disease is endemic.
Nanny Nancy...
Submitted by Forbus on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 5:05pm.
"Foods you don't need.........."
The sheer arrogance of these people is amazing.
YES
Submitted by Jnoble on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 5:27pm.
you beat me to it.
(in my snotty voice:) "Foods you don't need"
Give us a break. Where does this lady get off lecturing the entire country on what they should or should not be eating? Just for that, I'm going to the fridge and enjoying a fresh Pepsi on ice. Anyone else want to join me?
.
Submitted by TempusFugit on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 5:30pm.
Sure, but make it a Coca Cola Classic for me
The Department of FAT that just fits in, don't cha know.
Submitted by upcountrywater on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 5:10pm.
Nancy... so that people can get good fruits and vegetables and meats.....
meats!!!
The vegan arm of the lefty PETA state, will get some blow-back from slick willy.
You Didn't Build That.
more from the Tax Me More crowd
Submitted by kata on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 5:22pm.
I read about this a couple of days ago. People from Denmark are pissed off .
The State of Washington attempted to implement a Soda and Candy tax and it failed miserably. They could not even suitably define the word "candy".
If they instituted a Fat Tax...
Submitted by TempusFugit on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 5:29pm.
...the budget deficit would be taken care of by just one individual: Michael Moore
Bring some poor people on the program
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 5:31pm.
Let white we-know-better types like Deutsch and Snyderman tell them why we need to tax the food the prefer.
This is actually the logical argument that flows from national health care. To reduce costs, the government will determine our choices for us, and deny health care to those who ignore the guidance.
So which food NAZIs get to decide what foods we don't need?
Submitted by Dave. on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 5:38pm.
It's time to run the damn commies off.
Every last one of them.
I have had enough.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Wasn't Ken Burns on MSNBC?
Submitted by JeffC... on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 5:59pm.
Didn't Ken Burns just go on MSNBC to plug his new "Prohibition" documentary and blame the religious right instead of progressives for the 18th Amendment?
It's always the we-know-better crowd that has to tell us what we can and can't do. If unhealthy foods are banned, it won't be the right that does it.
You hit the nail on the head
Submitted by djwolf12 on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 8:57pm.
The progressive idiots are out in droves on NBC and MSLSD today. Those talking heads were on Morning Shmoe this morning discussing how there should be a federal law that permanently outlaws cellphone communication in cars, or that a mechanism be created to knock out all phone communication while in a car. Wow. It is ALL or NOTHING with these people. Why not make "BLUETOOTH" technology accessible in all vehicles? To a liberal, that kind of thinking makes too much sense because it would actually create more jobs.
What about personal responsibility!!
Submitted by FistsforLiberty on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 7:48pm.
You B@#%!
Ask Michelle Obama What Can You Serve Thanksgiving?
Submitted by Retired Geek on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 12:30am.
Has Everyone received permission from Michelle Obama on what you can serve for Thanksgiving?
Michelle Obama gave us permission to eat ONE piece of pie last Thanksgiving.
Write or call to obtain permission from Michelle Obama on what you can serve for Thanksgiving - times a wasting.
Michelle Obama
'What Will You Allow Me To Serve Thanksgiving?'
You are Doing a Hell of A Job Michelle!
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
202-456-1111
So when was the last time
Submitted by ant on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 4:27am.
So when was the last time Snyderman and other fat-tax proponents were in poor neighborhoods long enough to know you can't find fruits and vegetables? It's a damn lie, I live in the city, I know of fruit and vegetable trucks that dot the areas between Grocery stores 6-7 days a week. Even old ladies on disability can walk to purchase fresh produce in a lot of places. I could guess from experience that any government 'help/expansion' in this area would probably have the effect of hurting these mobile produce sellers, somehow, someway they'll screw things up and actually make it worse. It's what they do. You'd think these 'smart' journalists would realize this by now.
It's market based
Submitted by StanO360 on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 11:21am.
It's well known that poor people eat badly, generally the wealthier you are the better you eat. Some fruits and vegetables are expensive, but no more than processed foods. Whole grains are cheap, meat is expensive. But, we shop at Costco/Sam's, we can afford to buy in bulk. My Mom loves to go to this little market chain that sells fruits and vegetabes very cheap (Mexican type market).
My point, it's there if you care to look, most people don't care to.
Too bad we don't already have
Submitted by Beukeboom on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 9:30am.
Too bad we don't already have a 100% politician's tax.
I like Star Jones but . . .
Submitted by StanO360 on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 11:17am.
Did you catch her comment? She's talking about the "no stores in inner cities" problem, she's not anti nanny state. She just wants the nanny to prop up stores in inner cities rather than tax sweets.
Btw, juice and soda are not the same, the sugars metabolize different in our bodies and juice contains some nutritional value, but not near what the actual fruit has.
I don't know which cities she's reffering to.
Submitted by CobraMan on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 1:37pm.
I don't know which cities she's referring to, but every single city in America has stores, especially in the "inner cities." The vast majority of those stores are family owned. Quite a few of them are ethnic. She really needs to get out once in a while and take a walk in the cities sometimes, for she obviously has no idea what happens in a city.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Star is correct.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 1:45pm.
There are no Korean grocers on Central Park West.
However, if she had her limo driver take her 20 blocks south, she'd find plenty of them.
Well, since you want to emulate Denmark
Submitted by CobraMan on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 1:29pm.
"It's already worked in Denmark, earlier on they've done it."
Well, since you want to emulate Denmark, I suggest you push for a TV and radio licensing system like they use. What's that, you don't want to pay the federal government a yearly tax for the "privilege" of watching tv or listening to the radio? Well, I don't want to pay the federal government a tax for the "privilege" of eating food, especially since just about every step in the food system is already taxed. From production, to processing, to delivery, and, in the case of prepared meals (restaurants and fast-food), consumer purchase, several taxes, from federal to state to local, are already imposed upon us all. So, what's your suggestion? Yet another tax! Yea, like that'll change anything!
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.