Letters to the Editor (Aug. 1): Soda tax, draining the swamp
Taxing soda would create revenue
Instead of slapping more taxes on cigarettes, more money could be generated for health care by putting a mere 1-cent tax on every 16-ounce sugary soda. The consumption of sugary soda contributes to obesity, which contributes to heart disease, diabetes, and numerous other diseases.
Just think of all the sodas sold at fast-food restaurants and convenience stores, not to mention the six-packs, 12-packs, and 24-packs going out of stores. A veritable gold mine of revenue and most won’t even miss that penny.
Sharon Waner, Wichita
Draining the swamp is possible
President Trump’s threat to remove the subsidy we pay so that members of Congress can participate painlessly in Obamacare is precisely the kind of swamp draining that needs to happen. What it exposes is the existence of deep-seated conflicts of interest by the ones with the power in Washington, D.C.
The republic should be the protector of individual rights and of the commonwealth, which belongs to the people collectively. Any use of the republic’s power by any group to strip individuals in another group of their rights or to plunder the commonwealth for private gain undermines and destroys the republic. Unfortunately, we have no thoughtful and meaningful definition of a republic in our political science vocabulary in America today. As a result we live in a world where even Republicans are mindlessly destroying their own namesake: the republic.
If Trump is serious about draining the swamp (including his corner), he must carry through with this sort of merciless exposure of the corruption which has destroyed the American republic. But of course we know that whatever he does will be in his best interest, not the republic’s.
Bob Love, Wichita
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This story was originally published August 1, 2017 at 4:40 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor (Aug. 1): Soda tax, draining the swamp."