In a message dated 98-08-18 04:39:41 EDT, you write:

<<  I'm sure that many of us
 who don't live in Massachusetts are very interested to hear more about what
 you are planning and how it goes. >>

I'm planning a Processed and Packaged Foods Tax.  Basically tax foods that
aren't in their natural state when you buy them.  Foods that have been
devitalized by food manufacturers, mostly canned veggies and grain products
when you get down to it.  Edible non-food items.  Interestingly, there's a guy
by the name of Kelly Brownell at Yale who has been proposing a Bad Food' tax
idea that was voted of the best 12 ideas (or some #) for this country by US
News and World Report.  I just found this out, and I've contacted him, and I'm
trying to find out more about his efforts.

I basically want to tax enzymatically inactive foods, and use the revenue to
fund educational programs to raise awareness on eating natural foods, as well
as fund recycling programs, help farmers convert to organic, improve school
lunch programs, etc.  The politicians are regular people who need to be
educated, I think once some of them are educated, they'll naturally see it's
merit.  It's like a cigarette tax ,or alcohol tax.  The tax raises the issue
that these foods aren't necessarily good for anyone, and that the tax helps to
improve nutrition so that health care costs go down.

Just the act of proposing the tax would raise awareness on the issue.  having
the tax pass is another story...

Aaron