Health Commish Brings "Fat Tax" Debate to YouTube

Updated 4:17 PM EST, Mon, Jun 8, 2009

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State Health Commissioner Richard Daines made his point during a YouTube pitch with a big chunk of fat.

If the reactions on YouTube are any indication, State Health Commissioner Richard Daines better not quit his day job.

Daines played pitchman yesterday, posting a five-minute video on YouTube to make the case for Governor Paterson's controversial plan to impose an 18 percent tax on soda and other sugary drinks.

Maybe even the great Ron Popeil would have a hard time selling a new tax to overtaxed New Yorkers, but the reviews for Daine's YouTube pitch were less than stellar. There was thin support for the so-called "fat tax" among the 100-plus comments left in response.

"Once again, NY, the land of liberals and taxing," wrote one such commenter, MajorLeeFubar0. "This is such a lie, do you really think they care if you are fat or fit? Of course not, it is just another way for them to tax people and spend our money."

Like any good video pitchman, Daines employed props, using cans of sofa, glasses of milk and giant blob of fat to illustrate how soda packs on the pounds.

"No one like to hear about new taxes," Daines said. "But some taxes can be good for you."

Fat chance, said many commenters who noted the hypocrisy of touting milk over soda and taxing gym memberships while taxing soda in the name of health.

"This is why everyone is fleeing NY. This self righteous turd just wants your money," noted BigPSRT8. "This is the same state that took soda money to offer exclusive vending machine sales in schools 2 years ago...What about OJ and full fat milk? Maybe Caroline Kennedy fix this, umm, you know, with umm, you know her smarts. Oh by the way, they are taxing health club memberships too. Bastards."