Beer tax to pay for universal heath care?
• May 20th, 2009 • Category: Beer News
According to a story in the Associated Press, the United States government is considering raising taxes on beer (along with wine and liquor) to pay for a universal health care plan that will cost $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years.
The hike, detailed in a Senate Finance Committee document, would raise taxes on a six-pack from 33 cents to 48 cents — an increase of 145 percent. (No, that math makes no sense to us. That’s just what the story says.) For comparison, wine would see a 233 percent jump per bottle while a fifth of hard liquor would only be taxed 19 percent more.
If the proposal passes, it would mean all alcoholic beverages are taxed at the same rate. Currently, levies on beer and wine are significantly lower than those on hard alcohol.
Do you think this is a good way to pay for universal health care, or is there another way? Is the logic of taxing “lifestyle choices that contribute to rising medical costs” sounds? Is it obvious we’re running out of pictures to illustrate beer tax stories?
