First the 'green' taxes, next the 'fat' taxes?
Discussion
Great way to encourage business growth during a recession 
Do people really need to be 'educated' about healthy eating?
If local authorities really want to do something to 'clamp down on a glut of fast-food shops taking over entire streets' then stop handing out takeaway/fast food licenses left, right and centre.
Do people really need to be 'educated' about healthy eating?
If local authorities really want to do something to 'clamp down on a glut of fast-food shops taking over entire streets' then stop handing out takeaway/fast food licenses left, right and centre.
MEN said:
Takeaways could be hit with a £1,000 ‘fat tax’ to help cut obesity.
Everything from kebab and fish-and-chip shops to branches of McDonalds would have to pay the ‘levy’ before being allowed to open.
The cash would be used to fund healthy-eating campaigns and litter-picking.
Town hall chiefs say they are being forced to act because of an obesity epidemic sweeping the country.
But critics said hard-pressed businesses would be hit – and said councils should be promoting healthy eating with their own because of an obesity epidemic sweeping the country. But critics said hard-pressed businesses would be hit – and said councils should be promoting healthy eating with their own money.
The fat tax is being pioneered in Oldham and will go to a full council meeting for approval tomorrow.
Town hall bosses say they are determined to clamp down on a glut of fast-food shops taking over entire streets – as well as bulging waistlines.
Just under one in five children aged 10-11 in Oldham are currently classed as obese – above both the national and north west averages.
And health experts predict that, across Greater Manchester, by 2020 the number of adults at an 'unhealthy' weight will have soared by 300,000.
Oldham town hall chiefs say the £1,000 'fat tax' would apply to companies seeking a licence to serve takeaway food.
That would include kebab shops, pizza places, curry houses and fish-and-chip shops.
Council sources said some branches of major fast-food chains like McDonalds and Burger King would also fall foul of the levy. Those which had a higher proportion of seats for 'eating in' would escape.
The council will also consider exemptions for takeaways – like cafes and smoothie bars - that can prove they serve healthy food.
Lawyers at the town hall are currently trying to establish whether they will need to seek permission for the plans from the government. If not, they could be introduced later this year.
The idea was the brainchild of Steve Bashforth, a former chair of Oldham's planning committee, and has cross-party support.
A senior council insider said: “We will be doing everything in our powers to make sure it goes through, and are confident that it will.”
The council is also likely to approve new planning controls limiting the concentration of takeaways in town centres and banning more than two opening in a row.
No other councils in Greater Manchester currently plan to bring in a fat tax.
But it is understood they will monitor developments in Oldham carefully as they draw up their own plans to tackle obesity.
Town halls have already rolled out several controversial initiatives – including salt-shakers with fewer holes, as well as introducing residents-only parking around schools to encourage children to walk.
A spokesman for the Federation of Small Businesses said: “This sort of local levy is regrettable when it is paying for items that the local authority should be paying for anyway.
“We believe that when this sort of money is charged it should be channelled back into economic development.”
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1406832_oldham_takeaways_could_be_hit_by_1000_fat_tax_in_bid_to_cut_obesityEverything from kebab and fish-and-chip shops to branches of McDonalds would have to pay the ‘levy’ before being allowed to open.
The cash would be used to fund healthy-eating campaigns and litter-picking.
Town hall chiefs say they are being forced to act because of an obesity epidemic sweeping the country.
But critics said hard-pressed businesses would be hit – and said councils should be promoting healthy eating with their own because of an obesity epidemic sweeping the country. But critics said hard-pressed businesses would be hit – and said councils should be promoting healthy eating with their own money.
The fat tax is being pioneered in Oldham and will go to a full council meeting for approval tomorrow.
Town hall bosses say they are determined to clamp down on a glut of fast-food shops taking over entire streets – as well as bulging waistlines.
Just under one in five children aged 10-11 in Oldham are currently classed as obese – above both the national and north west averages.
And health experts predict that, across Greater Manchester, by 2020 the number of adults at an 'unhealthy' weight will have soared by 300,000.
Oldham town hall chiefs say the £1,000 'fat tax' would apply to companies seeking a licence to serve takeaway food.
That would include kebab shops, pizza places, curry houses and fish-and-chip shops.
Council sources said some branches of major fast-food chains like McDonalds and Burger King would also fall foul of the levy. Those which had a higher proportion of seats for 'eating in' would escape.
The council will also consider exemptions for takeaways – like cafes and smoothie bars - that can prove they serve healthy food.
Lawyers at the town hall are currently trying to establish whether they will need to seek permission for the plans from the government. If not, they could be introduced later this year.
The idea was the brainchild of Steve Bashforth, a former chair of Oldham's planning committee, and has cross-party support.
A senior council insider said: “We will be doing everything in our powers to make sure it goes through, and are confident that it will.”
The council is also likely to approve new planning controls limiting the concentration of takeaways in town centres and banning more than two opening in a row.
No other councils in Greater Manchester currently plan to bring in a fat tax.
But it is understood they will monitor developments in Oldham carefully as they draw up their own plans to tackle obesity.
Town halls have already rolled out several controversial initiatives – including salt-shakers with fewer holes, as well as introducing residents-only parking around schools to encourage children to walk.
A spokesman for the Federation of Small Businesses said: “This sort of local levy is regrettable when it is paying for items that the local authority should be paying for anyway.
“We believe that when this sort of money is charged it should be channelled back into economic development.”
Proof once more that the people in power don't really have a clue. I challenge them to my Kebab Diet. They will lose weight. What it also proves is that they are unable to do their job effectively and so need to raise more taxes. Furthermore, it also proves they really do hate the people paying them - the tax payer. And finally, it proves they really want to destroy local business.
Or, simply put, f
ktards.
Or, simply put, f
ktards.HundredthIdiot said:
MEN said:
Town halls have already rolled out several controversial initiatives – including salt-shakers with fewer holes
HundredthIdiot said:
MEN said:
Town halls have already rolled out several controversial initiatives – including salt-shakers with fewer holes
Councils clearly have FAR too much money to spend.
And yet they whinge about budget cuts? If they didn't PROVE they had too much time on their hands by coming out with the s
te above, they would have a case, but they really are landing themselves squarely in the firing line 
Idiots.
davepoth said:
HundredthIdiot said:
MEN said:
Town halls have already rolled out several controversial initiatives – including salt-shakers with fewer holes
Will a few £100k's of healthy eating campaigns really make much of a difference?
We had a health initiative here. It was called the Fat Bird because we started off at a statue which was a fat bird. You could run anywhere between 3km and 10km depending on your fitness. Volunteers helped us whilst also running. We had a warm up for the start and got times emailed to us. Great way to get the office worker out, and pushed me harder than I'd go on my own.
I don't have an issue with organised events to encourage healthy living, seems like a no brainer to me.
I don't have an issue with organised events to encourage healthy living, seems like a no brainer to me.
I should be dead now if you went by my diet.
I never eat any veggies (bar potatos) no fruit no spices no pasta no cheese( so no pitzas etc)in fact i live on a diet of mashed spuds or chips with a plain meat dinners/or takeaway food,never eat a breakfast and only sometimes have a lunch, eat lots of chocolate/crisps and have toast and eat/or bacon 30 mins-1 hour before i goto bed and drink a few beers every night and never do any exercise. oh and i smoke.
Im 38 never been in hospital,normal cholesterol levels,not overweight, never at the doctors and generally healthy.
Now im not going to condone my lifestyle, its my choice, but its not for the government to tell me that i have to change the way i live because i dont fit into the offical governments list of approved lifestyles,and basically try to tax me into submission. I really do not have any more money to give,i have no job due to the downturn,cant get a job due to having no qualifications(seems leaving schools at 16 and working in different jobs the last 20 years doesnt count for anything these days), live with my partner as a couple so get no benefits(sign on to get the stamps paid only) but still they want their pound/0.45kg of flesh from me by telling me i have to go a 'steps to work' scheme were they send you out to a private employer and work full time for 13 weeks for your dole and a extra £15 a week.So they expect me go out and work full time for £15 a week and threaten to 'suspend' my dole for 26 weeks if i dont do it.SO THEY WILL SUSPEND THE DOLE I CANT CLAIM FOR UPTO 26 WEEKS sorry had to highlight that because i found it funny.
sorry about the mini rant there and prob went a tad off topic but the main point is that if the government wants to get extra tax's they will always find a new thing to hit,idealy while finding new important ways of saveing money (like stopping my dole of £0 a week)because they just have to think of the children and keep the 'overseas aid' money, the money it costs to stay in the rip of eu and at the end of the day the more people they can screw over the more cash there will be to fix their moats and to keep the porn channels open in any hotel room they stay in
I never eat any veggies (bar potatos) no fruit no spices no pasta no cheese( so no pitzas etc)in fact i live on a diet of mashed spuds or chips with a plain meat dinners/or takeaway food,never eat a breakfast and only sometimes have a lunch, eat lots of chocolate/crisps and have toast and eat/or bacon 30 mins-1 hour before i goto bed and drink a few beers every night and never do any exercise. oh and i smoke.
Im 38 never been in hospital,normal cholesterol levels,not overweight, never at the doctors and generally healthy.
Now im not going to condone my lifestyle, its my choice, but its not for the government to tell me that i have to change the way i live because i dont fit into the offical governments list of approved lifestyles,and basically try to tax me into submission. I really do not have any more money to give,i have no job due to the downturn,cant get a job due to having no qualifications(seems leaving schools at 16 and working in different jobs the last 20 years doesnt count for anything these days), live with my partner as a couple so get no benefits(sign on to get the stamps paid only) but still they want their pound/0.45kg of flesh from me by telling me i have to go a 'steps to work' scheme were they send you out to a private employer and work full time for 13 weeks for your dole and a extra £15 a week.So they expect me go out and work full time for £15 a week and threaten to 'suspend' my dole for 26 weeks if i dont do it.SO THEY WILL SUSPEND THE DOLE I CANT CLAIM FOR UPTO 26 WEEKS sorry had to highlight that because i found it funny.
sorry about the mini rant there and prob went a tad off topic but the main point is that if the government wants to get extra tax's they will always find a new thing to hit,idealy while finding new important ways of saveing money (like stopping my dole of £0 a week)because they just have to think of the children and keep the 'overseas aid' money, the money it costs to stay in the rip of eu and at the end of the day the more people they can screw over the more cash there will be to fix their moats and to keep the porn channels open in any hotel room they stay in
doug1e1972 said:
I should be dead now if you went by my diet.
I never eat any veggies (bar potatos) no fruit no spices no pasta no cheese( so no pitzas etc)in fact i live on a diet of mashed spuds or chips with a plain meat dinners/or takeaway food,never eat a breakfast and only sometimes have a lunch, eat lots of chocolate/crisps and have toast and eat/or bacon 30 mins-1 hour before i goto bed and drink a few beers every night and never do any exercise. oh and i smoke.
Im 38 never been in hospital,normal cholesterol levels,not overweight, never at the doctors and generally healthy.
I never eat any veggies (bar potatos) no fruit no spices no pasta no cheese( so no pitzas etc)in fact i live on a diet of mashed spuds or chips with a plain meat dinners/or takeaway food,never eat a breakfast and only sometimes have a lunch, eat lots of chocolate/crisps and have toast and eat/or bacon 30 mins-1 hour before i goto bed and drink a few beers every night and never do any exercise. oh and i smoke.
Im 38 never been in hospital,normal cholesterol levels,not overweight, never at the doctors and generally healthy.
It'll be the constipation that kills you in the end.
davepoth said:
You're telling me you've never seen someone put salt on their lunch before tasting it? It's for those people mainly. People who salt for taste will be unaffected, but I bet they don't use as much anyway.
I don't know where you live but round these parts salt shakers tend to only have one hole so shakers with 'fewer' holes would mean what, shakers with no holes?Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff