Weighing the Costs by Ms. Graves

Do Americans eat too much fast food? Are fast food chains really the heart of Americans’ problem with unhealthy hearts? Many researchers and politicians would answer “yes” to both of those questions. In order to discourage Americans from eating unhealthy food several states are putting special taxes on “junk food”. The idea is that if people have to pay more money for food that is not good for them, then maybe they will start buying healthier food instead. Are extra taxes the solution to helping keep Americans healthy?

In Connecticut, food is usually not taxed because it is necessary to survive. However, not all food is actually good for you to eat. Therefore, Politicians in Connecticut decided that food that is unhealthy for you should be taxed. Unhealthy food includes soft drinks, soda, candy, and confectionery (or sugary food). Connecticut also taxes meals that are prepared in restaurants and fast food chains.

Are these taxes helpful? Does the tax really stop anyone from purchasing food that might be bad for them? For people who know about the extra tax it might discourage them from buying unhealthy food. However, not enough people know that they are paying extra for donuts, or fast food meals. Another problem is that healthy food is usually more expensive than unhealthy food. This means that even with the tax, it would still be cheaper to buy food that is not good for you.

I think that the tax is not a bad idea, because we want to encourage Americans to be healthy and eat well. However, people should be taught about the tax. Then people will know that they can save money by not buying “junk food”. I also think that healthy food should be less expensive than unhealthy food to encourage people to buy food that is good for them. With those changes, maybe the tax will help keep Americans’ hearts healthy.

Facts:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/rpt/2009-R-0037.htm

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2002/olrdata/fin/rpt/2002-r-1004.htm
Photo:
http://www.usaring.com/health/food/miniposter1r.jpg

Looking for Master and Miss Write

Who are Master and Miss Write? You are. You become Master or Miss Write anytime you take the ideas from inside of you and put them down on a page.

Writing, despite what we may sometimes feel about it, is valuable. Writing forces us to think harder and more clearly about experiences we've had or information we've read. Writing has a lasting quality. What we write today, as long as we don't lose or destroy it, can be read years later and remind us of who we were then and how we thought. And, when we publish what we have written, we gain a sense of pride and satisfaction. Writing is valuable.

So, what will you write about? You may be thinking, I haven't the first idea what to write about; so here are some ideas:

1. a hobby or favorite activity
2. pet peeves (things that bother you)
   
3. a poem
4. a book recommendation
5. a memorable moment 
6. an opinion piece
7. a researched topic
8. tips for kids
9. reasons why people ___ (lie, brag, are mean, donate)
10. goals for the year/ for your life

Those are a few ideas, but the best ones will come from you. 

Write on.