A Stitch in Haste

Time to clean out the aggregator. Here are two stories demonstrating the fallacy that nanny-statism is based on objective criteria rather than the Politics of the Warm Fuzzy Feeling.

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ITEM: New Jersey Governor Jon "Just Like Bloomberg" Corzine wants to pump plump you up --

As more than 1 million New Jersey residents look to trim their waistlines in health and fitness clubs, the state hopes to fatten its own bottom line by charging patrons sales tax on annual membership fees.
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But the proposal has gym owners, patrons and health advocates crying foul over what they say is a short-sighted fix to the state's budget problems.

"We're here to improve our health and our lifestyle," said Hamilton resident Stan Jaquinto, a member of the Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Health and Wellness Center in Hamilton. "Why should we have to pay for something that helps us live a little longer, stay in good shape and cut down on our insurance costs? There are a lot of other things to tax out there besides people's health programs."

MY TAKE: If you really care about the "health care crisis" and the "War on Obesity," then of course you should be arguing for the tax deductibility of gym memberships rather than subjecting them to a sales tax. But if you care instead about finding more and more ways to extract more and more tax dollars from more and more people, then this makes perfect sense. Go figure. (Hat tip.)

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ITEM: Across the river, a New York City hack politician wants new conscripts in the War on Tobacco --

Young New Yorkers would have to wait until they are 21 to legally buy their first pack of cigarettes if a controversial City Council bill is signed into law.
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In fact, all tobacco-related goods, including cigars, chewing tobacco, rolling papers and pipes, would be off-limits to people under 21.
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"We figured, just like the drinking age is 21, the smoking age will be the same," [the bill's sponsor, Joel Rivera of the Bronx] said.

MY TAKE: I've blogged about above-18 smoking laws previously. Both the United States Constitution and New York State law declare 18 the default age of majority. But as gays well know, the rights of perpetual minorities are always susceptible to infringement by the majority, whether in the name protecting "traditional values" or in the name of protecting the minority itself. You can decide for yourself which is the more obnoxious.

By the way:

Rivera is expected to announce another piece of legislation today, which is World No Tobacco Day. His bill would ban all flavored cigarettes -- except menthol and clove -- in the five boroughs.

A perfectly legal product, no more likely to find its way into the hands of minors than other cigarettes, to be banned anyway because one activist legislator is high on the ultimate addictive stimulant -- power. More on flavored cigarettes at this previous post.