Opus 2011-54, New Words: Pigouvian Taxes.

I was reading “States eye ‘sin’ taxation as salvation for budgets,” in The Washington Times, National Weekly, January 24, 2011, p. 12.  I was getting angry at the politicians continued attempts to destroy life as we know it by taxing us into poverty.  Then I came across a new term, at least new to me.  It said, “...what economists call ‘Pigouvain taxes’ – levies designed to change behavior for the betterment of society.”  Now they have a fancy name for sin taxes. 

Politicians have long tried to control our behavior by taxing things they don’t like.  Think of the attack on tobacco.  At one point in the article it say that New York state is assessing $4.35 on one pack of cigarettes.  Now that is a sin tax.  I don’t smoke and it offends me.  We also have the marriage penalty in income tax.  What does that say about the goal of our government?

I must admit it.  I think someone is jerking someone’s chain on this one.  I found this explained on Wikipedia but understand that Wikipedia is not a reliable source.  You can put anything there.  I checked out World Book Encyclopedia and found nothing.  I have my doubts this isn’t something invented by a sophomores economics class.  Is there any coincidence that this man’s last name is one letter short of Pig out?  It is a great name for a tax designed to keep us from eating Twinkies and drinking sugary beverages.  If this is a real person I apologize, I don’t want to mock a real person, but come on!

To paraphrase a famous statement, “At first they came for the expensive cars and I said nothing because I can’t afford them.  Then they came for alcohol and I said nothing, for I do not drink.  Then they came for the tobacco and I said nothing for I don’t smoke.  Then they came for Twinkies and I said nothing, for I am diabetic.  Then they came for...”  You get the idea. 

John Marshall once said, “The power to tax is the power to destroy.”  You need to remember that the next time you vote.  I think a tax that would be for the betterment of society would be a tax on politicians.

homo unius libri