This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I am looking forward to $8-a-gallon gas. Driving and polluting our air is a sin, and those who do so should be punished. Where did I get such a dumb idea? From the Utah State Liquor Store. Utah punishes those who consume alcohol by charging outrageous prices. The excessive profits are self-righteously used to provide lunches for hungry children, and now it is proposed they be used to provide housing for the poor. Oh my gosh, doesn't that feel good?
Smokers already pay their sin tax. What ones have we missed? Well, gluttony is a sin. Let's impose a special tax on Coke, Pepsi, Ding Dongs, and, of course, Doritos - all stuff we shouldn't be eating anyway. I'll bet the state could come up with quite a little list of sin taxes and then everybody could have a cozy home for the winter.
Such a great idea. How did we miss it? We can solve a health problem and a housing problem at the same time.
Chuck Welle
Sandy
