Recently I sent a message, modified from a template provided by the Stop the Vermont Beverage Tax group, to my state representative and the governor expressing my opposition to the proposed two-cent per ounce tax on, some, sugar sweetened beverages. (I wrote about this issue previously, here for example.) The content of my message was:

As one of your constituents, I am writing to tell you that I am opposed to a beverage tax in Vermont and to respectfully ask that you oppose this tax.

The proper role of government in the United States, as put forth in the Declaration of Independence, is to protect the inalienable rights of the citizens. It is not the role of government to manage our non-rights violating behavior in a direction they deem to be “better.” Indeed, far from protecting individual rights, with this legislation the state government is proposing to infringe on those rights.

Contrary to what those in government apparently think, we are all capable of making our own choices and should be left alone to deal with the consequences of those choices, good or bad. How is it that legislators can decide that individual citizens are unable to do so while they are, as one legislator put it upon finding out that new “healthy” regulations at the capitol would affect them as well as “employees,” “old enough to decide” for themselves?

Further, such violations of rights will, unsurprisingly, have far-reaching negative effects. Requiring distributors (and even many retailers!) to acquire state licenses and keep records for three years is burdensome and disruptive to our local business community. And higher prices on groceries here make stores in neighboring states look all the more appealing to Vermont residents.

If you ask me, the beverage tax proposal sounds like a red tape nightmare Vermont’s businesses don’t need.

Please protect Vermont business by saying NO to a beverage tax.

On Friday, March 27, I received a reply from Governor Shumlin, the body of which reads:

Thank you for writing to me about your perspective on taxing sugar-sweetened beverages.

As you may know, I oppose the tax, because I believe alternate strategies will be more effective at addressing the serious and real problem of obesity, and I believe the tax will hurt Vermont families and businesses. Growing up in the Connecticut River Valley, I saw firsthand how easily customers can be driven over the New Hampshire border.

It is my strong belief that we can most effectively reduce rates of obesity through education and an improved health care system. We must empower kids, parents, and schools with the information that they need to make healthy choices. This must include education on nutrition, physical activity, and the risks associated with obesity. We must encourage preventative care and healthier lifestyles by continuing to move towards a health care system where we reward our providers for outcomes instead of a fee-for-service system. My administration is making progress on these fronts as we champion education policy and health care reform, exploring how we can best equip our schools and health care providers with the tools necessary to prevent and reduce the rates of obesity in Vermont.

I am proud that Vermont is consistently ranked as one of the healthiest states in the nation by the United Health Foundation. Together, we can make great progress towards reducing obesity and protecting the livelihoods of Vermonters working hard to support their families. Thank you again for your correspondence.

If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

While I don’t believe the government has any role in either health care or education, both of which Governor Shumlin mentions as ways to combat obesity, another area in which the government has no legitimate role, at least supports education, reason, as the means for addressing the issue and opposes taxes, force, unlike some supporters of the beverage tax.

There are other issues raised in his response, mandating changes in provider payment for example, but that is a post for another day.