Beer tax on tap for health care?

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar

"Details of the proposed beer tax are described in a Senate Finance Committee document distributed to lawmakers before a closed-door meeting Wednesday. Senators are focusing on how to pay for expanding health insurance for an estimated 50 million uninsured Americans, a cost that could range to some $1.5 trillion over 10 years. ..."

"While many of the revenue raisers involve obscure provisions of federal law, most consumers can relate to a beer tax. ... Taxes on wine and hard liquor would also go up. ..."

"The idea behind the proposed increases is to tax lifestyle choices that contribute to rising medical costs. Obesity puts people at risk for diabetes and heart problems. Alcohol abuse is a risk factor in several types of cancer, liver disease and psychological problems. ..."

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