PETA’s Pig Patrol to Visit NY Governor

When we heard about New York Governor David Paterson’s proposed excise (“sin”) tax on full-calorie soda, we were confused. Sure, there are calories to be had in the all-American high fructose corn syrup, caramel coloring, and artificial flavoring cocktail, but does it compare to, say, meat?

To help set Gov. Paterson straight, we’re sending out some of our ridiculously cute “Tax Meat” pigs to the Governor’s pad today to help him consider some other products to place on his naughty list this year. The politically active pigs will circle the Governor’s home in a convertible with signs reading, “Battle the Budget and the Bulge: Tax Meat.”

After all, a can of fizzy goodness with more grams of sugar than I care to consider may be linked to obesity, but eating meat is linked not only to obesity but also to strokes, diabetes, heart disease, and several types of cancer, among other conditions and ailments. And with the financial outlook as bleak as it is, nobody needs the added burden of long-term medical treatment for costly conditions caused by risky dietary choices such as eating meat, when they could bank on their health by going vegetarian instead.

Written by Sean Conner