5/10/05 | Fast Food Tax?
[ Currently Eating: Cookies ]
Maybe Detroit’s mayor has read the book one too many times. Or maybe he’s gotten addled from ingesting too many Super Size Fries and Big Macs. All I can say is boy, I bet he will be one hell of an unpopular guy (at least in fast food restaurants) if this proposed tax comes about. I know he’s certainly landed on my Cheap Eats shortlist of dummies. What will this fast food tax entail? From CNN Money article:
In an effort to curb a looming $300 million budget deficit, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick last month floated what he called a “different budget than has ever been presented to our city council.”
The budget includes a proposed 2 percent tax that would be levied only on sales at fast-food restaurants, among other items that would generate additional revenue for the city.
Like the majority of the people in the article, I just can’t see the justification of taxing fast food. I mean if you’re going to tax something, tax the sit down restaurants… tax those people wolfing down creme brulee lobster or whatever. Shoot, they can afford it. The people who go to fast food restaurants more frequently are often the ones who currently need to watch every penny spent on food. So, you’re basically going to end up levying this tax against people who it would hurt the most. What the hell.
I know. A lot of rich people DO often slum it and go to McDonald’s or Wendy’s. Still it just doesn’t make any sense. Why not have a city wide tax on ALL restaurants. Why just target fast food? And as the article points out, how do you objectively even draw the line between fast food and sit down food?
Weird and dismaying. For that reason, Kilpatrick earns a Cheap Eats Hall of Shame badge. Congrats, you’re the first non-food item to be inducted…
Detroit mayor proposes tax on fast food
May 10th, 2005 at 9:04 pm
I read “Fast Food Nation” when it first came out and, yes it is disturbing and it will put you off fast food (at least for a while). It goes in vivid detail as to what happens during animal processing — you won’t look at your McNuggets or Big Mac the same way again.
Did you see “Supersize Me?” Obviously, it’s similar in theme but “Fast Food Nation” is a darker look at the industry.
May 11th, 2005 at 12:15 am
Editrix - I am rather afraid of reading Fast Food Nation. More than a few friends have said it was quite disturbing!
I actually did want to see Supersize Me… I’m going to put that on my Amazon wishlist. =)
October 3rd, 2006 at 1:49 pm
Have you never heard of the term “SIN TAX.” These are taxes that are both designed to raise easy revenue, AND to both discourage usage of sin activities (smoking, gambling, etc.), as well as offset the cost of those activities (high health care, missed days of work, mental health treatment).
This fast food tax is just such a tax, and is a brilliant idea. I don’t know if you live in Detroit or not (I do), but most of our fat asses could use a break from Mickey D’s and the other fast food places.
There ARE other cheap eats in the City, and maybe some people will open up more!
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:42 am
Fast food is really not that cheap. Getting full at Wendy’s, BK, Mickey D’s, KFC, etc. requires at least $5-8 dollars minimum. There are only 3 reasons to eat fast food:
1. On the road and your alternative for food is the gas station deli counter.
2. It’s late and there’s nothing else open nearby.
3. You’re stupid.
There are healthier choices in the same price range: Chipotle, Baja Fresh, etc. Unless you live out in the middle of nowhere - and thus qualify for reason #3.