Americans Against Food Taxes--another rightwing group?

[panader0]

I've seen their ads on TV. No taxes for soft drinks and juice drinks. "Taxes never made anyone healthier" is one of their slogans. High fructose corn syrup is at the bottom of it all, I believe. They want to continue to cause diabetes and make money in the process. Anyone know anything about this group?

[spinbaby]

1. I've seen the ads

With the wholesome family out camping. I assumed they were some kind of a front for the soft-drink industry.

[Retrograde]

2. So do I

Living in California and being subjected to all the pro and con proposition ads each election from Citizens Concerned about X, Y or Z has made me very cynical about ads with wholesome people in them.

Anyway, taxing sodas sounds good to me.

[NOW tense]

3. Link to the members list

http://www.nofoodtaxes.com/about/

[deadmessengers]

10. I'm surprised as hell that Monsanto isn't on there.

Although I guess they're there by proxy, via their membership in the Corn Processors Association

[doni_georgia]

4. I saw the ad last night

It looked like a SNL spoof. I would say that the group is definitely funded by the high fructose corn syrup producers. What people don't realize about high fructose corn syrup is that the body does not recognize it as sugar, so the body does not produce insulin to break it down. Instead the liver has to break it down. I cut it out of my diet last summer (cut out everything that has that ingredient). That's all I did. I didn't cut my fat, didn't cut real sugar - just high fructose corn syrup, and I lost 17 pounds in ONE MONTH!! Not only that, but I quit having headaches and was able to go off the antidepressants I had been on for years! Unfortunately, during the school year (I'm a teacher) I started drinking Coke again and WHOMP the weight came right back in a couple of weeks, so did my headaches and depression. I am in the process right now of gradually eliminating corn syrup again. Once I am off the stuff this time, I will never touch it again!

[panader0]

7. It's amazing how many foods have high fructose corn syrup

Even some of the so-called health breads, whole wheat breads have hfcs, it's everywhere, and it's making people sick.

[JoDog]

15. I'm trying to eliminate it too.

Look for kosher for Passover Coke or Mexican Coke. They still use old-fashioned cane sugar in their formulas.

Coke also has a version of Diet Coke that uses Splenda rather than aspertame as the sweetener. Aspertame is a about as bad for you as the HFCS. I read somewhere that one of these consumer watchdog groups (I forget which one) said that Splenda is the only fake sweetener that isn't dangerous.

Also, don't forget to write to the company and demand that a cane sugar-sweetened version be available in the US all year. If enough of us do it, we just might get it!

[zbdent]

5. I personally know at least one "taxes made a person healthier" ...

a friend of mine quit smoking due to rising taxes ...

[Bill McBlueState]

6. It's the soda and juice manufacturers

Just like any other manufacturer, they don't want their product taxed. I disagree with them, but they're not some nefarious front group.

[panader0]

12. Not nefarious but some of their main supporters are Kyl, Grassley,

Coburn and rep Price, all assholes.

[ejpoeta]

8. i will bet dollars to donuts these folks were all for the cigarette taxes.

I think that if it's good enough for smokers then it's good enough for everyone else. Personally, i think it's a slippery slope and don't agree with taxing pop or anything like that because where does that stop? anything can be bad for you. but, if it's good enough for smokers to pay taxes.... increasingly higher taxes... then it is good enough for the rest of us.

[blogslut]

9. The ads are made by the same people who brought us "Harry & Louise"

Goddard Claussen:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Goddard_Claussen

[Vinca]

11. Sheesh . . . it's not like anyone is suggesting taxing lettuce or tomatoes.

Sugary soda is one of the culprits in the current health crisis and ought to be taxed to the max along with all other junk food, booze, smokes and stuff that's bad for you.

[panader0]

13. Just out of curiosity---why the unrec? Did I make someone mad?

[qb]

14. They should be called "Corporations against Junk Food Taxes"

I am happy to live in a state that does not tax food or clothing.