Feds Seek Tax on Sugary Drinks, Snacks

Feds Seek Tax on Sugary Drinks, Snacks

by Breitbart News21 Feb 2015

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/02/21/feds-seek-tax-on-sugary-drinks-snacks/

WASHINGTON (AP) — A tax on sugary drinks and snacks is one way a government panel of nutrition experts thinks Americans can be coaxed into eating better. Some members of Congress are already pushing back on the idea, saying the panel has overstepped its bounds.

The panel’s recommendations will help determine what gets into the new version of dietary guidelines being prepared by the Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments. The advice includes eating more fruits and vegetables and whole grains and limiting added sugars and fat.

However, the panel goes beyond previous versions of the dietary guidelines by suggesting a broad list of possible policy changes – a tax is just one – that could make it easier for people to follow that diet advice.

“Taxation on higher sugar- and sodium-containing foods may encourage consumers to reduce consumption and revenues generated could support health promotion efforts,” the committee wrote as part of the recommendations released this week.

Such taxes have mostly failed to gain traction around the country, though voters in Berkeley, California, approved a special, per-ounce tax on sugary drinks in November. In New York City, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg tried to cap the size of sugary drinks sold in restaurants and other venues at 16 ounces, but legal challenges spearheaded by the beverage industry brought down the effort in the courts.

Other ideas put forth by the committee were placing nutrition labels on the front of food packages and requiring public buildings to serve healthier foods. The committee also suggested incentives for eating fruits and vegetables, though it didn’t detail how that could work. Panel members said incentives might be vouchers for farmers markets or subsidies for growers or grocery stores.

The panel endorsed adding a line on the nutrition facts label for added sugars, which the Obama administration has already proposed. It also backed the administration’s standards for healthier school lunches.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., criticized the report shortly after it came out Thursday, saying the committee strayed from its science-based nutrition recommendations.

“This is economic, not nutrition, policy,” he said.

Congress weighed in on a draft of the report last December, noting that the dietary guidelines panel was poised to suggest a more environmentally friendly diet of plant-based foods. In a massive spending bill, lawmakers instructed Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack “to only include nutrition and dietary information, not extraneous factors” in the final guidelines.

After the report was issued, Vilsack said the guidelines are supposed to be informed by the “latest and best science and medical knowledge.”

He wouldn’t address the content of the report specifically, but said he doesn’t want the final report to have “anything outside of the lines in the guidelines that would potentially undercut the legitimacy, credibility and acceptance of the guidelines. … The law is fairly clear to me, it’s about nutrition and it’s about diet.”

Committee members say their panel was charged with looking at implications of its findings, and the policy changes were just suggestions.

“The idea is to stimulate thinking on how to get there,” Barbara Millen, the chairwoman of the committee, said Friday.

Alice Lichtenstein, a member of the panel and a professor at Tufts University, said there is some data that similar policy initiatives have worked, like efforts to ban trans fat from the food supply. She said the policy suggestions are to raise the issue for the future.

“To bring it up as something for future consideration, I think that’s appropriate,” she said.

One former member of a dietary guidelines advisory panel disagreed.

Joanne Lupton of Texas A&M University, who served on the 2005 dietary guidelines advisory panel, said her committee was told just to stick to the science.

“They should show us studies that taxes have a beneficial effect,” she said of this year’s panel.

The beverage industry argued the same point. “The committee does not have the authority to make such recommendations, nor the scientific evidence or expertise to back up its recommendations,” the American Beverage Association said in a statement.

Texas A&M University

Robert M. Gates was the president of the Texas A&M University, and the defense secretary for the Barack Obama administration.

Note: Elsa A. Murano was the president of the Texas A&M University, and the under secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Matthew M. McKenna is a special adviser to the secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and was the SVP for PepsiCo, Inc.

Norman E. Borlaug was a professor at the Texas A&M University, and an advisory board member for the Earth Institute.

Kenneth J. Arrow is an advisory board member for the Earth Institute, and Lawrence H. Summers’s uncle.

George Soros is an advisory board member for the Earth Institute, was a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, a supporter for the Center for American Progress, and the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Harlem Children's Zone, the

International Rescue Committee, the Center for American Progress, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Michael R. Bloomberg was a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, the New York (NY) mayor, is the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation, and an advocate for the ONE Campaign.

ONE Campaign is a partner with the International Rescue Committee.

Maurice R. Greenberg was a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, and is an overseer at the

International Rescue Committee.

Indra K. Nooyi is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and the chair & CEO for PepsiCo, Inc.

Dina Dublon was an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and is a director at PepsiCo, Inc.

Harold E. Ford Jr. was an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, the chairman for the Democratic Leadership Council, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Tom Vilsack was the chairman for the Democratic Leadership Council, and is the secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Barack Obama administration.

Austan D. Goolsbee was the senior economist for the Democratic Leadership Council, the Economic Recovery Board, council of economic advisers chairman for the Barack Obama administration, and is a distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

American Beverage Association was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

PepsiCo, Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress, and Frito-Lay Inc. is a subsidiary.

Coca-Cola Company was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Lawrence H. Summers is a distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, Kenneth J. Arrow’s nephew, was the National Economic Council chairman for the Barack Obama administration, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Sam Nunn was the chairman for the Democratic Leadership Council, is a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation, a member of the Augusta National Golf Club, the co-chairman & CEO for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), and a director at the Coca-Cola Company.

Warren E. Buffett is a member of the Augusta National Golf Club, an adviser for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), Howard G. Buffett’s father, and was a director at the Coca-Cola Company.

Coca-Cola Company is a snack foods manufacturer.

Mary N. Dillon was the EVP for the Coca-Cola Company, and a division president for PepsiCo, Inc.

Daniel Vasella is a director at PepsiCo, Inc., and a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Margaret A. Hamburg is the VP for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), and was the assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Jessica Tuchman Mathews is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Ed Griffin’s interview with Norman Dodd in 1982

(The investigation into the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace uncovered the plans for population control by involving the United States in war)

http://www.illuminati-news.com/110106a.htm

Donald F. McHenry is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and was a director at the Coca-Cola Company.

James D. Robinson III is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a director at the Coca-Cola Company.

Larry D. Thompson is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and the EVP of governmental affairs, general counsel & secretary for PepsiCo, Inc.

Michael H. Jordan was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a division chairman & CEO for PepsiCo, Inc.

PepsiCo, Inc. is a snack foods manufacturer.

Frito-Lay Inc. is a subsidiary of PepsiCo, Inc.

Roger A. Enrico was the chairman & CEO for Frito-Lay Inc., the chairman & CEO for PepsiCo, Inc., and the chairman for DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

Karl M. von der Heyden was the vice chairman for PepsiCo, Inc., and a director at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

Mellody L. Hobson is the chairman for DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

William M. Daley is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, Mayor Richard M. Daley’s brother, and was the chief of staff for the Barack Obama administration.

Richard M. Daley is William M. Daley’s brother, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and a director at the Coca-Cola Company.

R. Eden Martin is the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

Newton N. Minow is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP, and is an advocate for the ONE Campaign.

Howard G. Buffett is a director at the ONE Campaign, Warren E. Buffett’s son, and a director at the Coca-Cola Company.

Helene D. Gayle is a director at the ONE Campaign, and a director at the Coca-Cola Company.

Evan G. Greenberg is a director at the Coca-Cola Company, and an overseer at the International Rescue Committee.

ONE Campaign is a partner with the International Rescue Committee.

Indra K. Nooyi is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and the chair & CEO for PepsiCo, Inc.

Dina Dublon was an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and is a director at PepsiCo, Inc.                   

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP, and is the president for the Barack Obama administration.     

Richard C. Holbrooke was a special envoy to Afghanistan, Pakistan for the Barack Obama administration, and an international advisory board member for the Coca-Cola Company.

Alan L. Hoffman was the deputy assistant to the president for the Barack Obama administration, and the EVP for PepsiCo, Inc.

Tom Vilsack is the secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Barack Obama administration, and was the chairman for the Democratic Leadership Council.

Matthew M. McKenna is a special adviser to the secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and was the SVP for PepsiCo, Inc.

Elsa A. Murano was the under secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the president of the Texas A&M University.

Robert M. Gates was the president of the Texas A&M University, and the defense secretary for the Barack Obama administration.

Harold E. Ford Jr. was the chairman for the Democratic Leadership Council, an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Indra K. Nooyi is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and the chair & CEO for PepsiCo, Inc.

Dina Dublon was an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and is a director at PepsiCo, Inc.

PepsiCo, Inc. is a snack foods manufacturer.

Coca-Cola Company is a snack foods manufacturer.