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Monday, June 16, 2008
Government mandate: a 33-inch waistline?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The New York Times reports that in Japan, “under a national law that came into effect two months ago, companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of Japanese people between the ages of 40 and 74 as part of their annual checkups.
“Those exceeding government limits - 33.5 inches for men and 35.4 inches for women, and having a weight related ailment will be given dieting guidance if after three months they do not lose weight. If necessary, they will be steered toward further re-education after six more months.”
The government will impose financial penalties on companies and local governments that fail to achieve targets for reducing the overweight population.
Yet the Japanese are nowhere near as overweight as Americans. The average waste size for American men is 39 inches, 36.5 for women. It is 32.8 for Japanese men and 28 inches for women.
Should the U.S. work harder on reducing obesity and improving health or is this an example of government regulation gone amuck?
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Tax internet purchases?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New York state is now trying to force Amazon.com to collect sales tax on New York residents who purchase items from the online retailer.
As states faces increasing pressure from a slowing economy, taxing internet sales is a good option, argues, Mark Weisbrot is co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
“As the recession deepens, unemployment rises and consumers cut back on spending, state and local government revenue from income tax, sales tax and other sources will decline more than anticipated,” he writes.”Unlike the federal government, most states cannot borrow to cover an operational budget deficit. This means that they will cut spending, including such items as health insurance for children and low-income families, child care and elementary education.
“So we cannot afford to lose billions of dollars in state and local tax revenues by exempting Internet sales. But even if it were affordable, there is no good economic reason to do so. Why should our governments favor faraway Internet distribution centers over local businesses? This is not good for local or regional economic development. The problem will worsen as Internet sales increase .”
However, Kristina M. Rasmussen is director of government affairs for the National Taxpayers Union, argues the opposite.
“Remember that each state has a home-grown tax system with differing rates, definitions and applications,” he writes. “Five states have no sales tax, 30 don’t tax food and 11 exempt nonprescription drugs. What one state considers food, another may tax as candy. Some states base taxes on where shipments originate, others on destination. Different rates and rules for 7,500-plus local jurisdictions add another dimension of complexity to the mix. “The cost to online retailers to calculate, collect and remit these taxes could very well force higher prices or even business closures.”
Should we tax internet sales?
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