Over the past year, you’ve probably heard the debate going on in New York and across the country about proposed taxes on sugary sodas. Last week, New York Magazine tackled this issue in an article entitled, Taxa-Cola: Why tax soda that we already subsidize? Taxing soda is not really a popular issue among Republicans nor Democrats as the health comparisons to the cigarette tax aren’t holding weight.

A bit ironic – Americans already pay taxes to help subsidize the production of corn; the same corn that produces the high-fructose corn syrup found in soda.  Now, with the proposed soda tax, American’s will be taxed for consuming an item in which they are paying  taxes  to help develop.  Christopher Bonanos, author of the article, writes: “In short: We pay federal taxes to make that can of Mountain Dew cheaper than it should be, encouraging us to buy it. Then we are scolded by public-health authorities for doing so. Then New York proposes another tax, to discourage us from buying it. This is nuts.”

No matter where you fall on this issue, most believe a lot needs to be done before soda can be taxed in a fair manner. Bonanos concludes with a tip for us New Yorkers – “drink seltzer, like a good New Yorker. No salt, no sugar, no subsidy.”