When Doughnuts Cost More Next Year, Thank Obamacare [Op-Ed]
COMMENTARY | Obamacare policies mean doughnuts will cost a whole lot more next year when new FDA mandates become law. Just about every item sold at your local deli, convenience store, or bakery will be required to have a detailed nutritional label. The nanny-state requirement is reportedly yet another attempt to protect Americans from themselves. Anyone who is old enough to read such a level already knows that doughnuts are not on the “eat daily” portion of the food pyramid.
The latest example of a governmental overreach will hit us in our pocketbooks. Forget about the 2 for $1 doughnuts sales. The adorable cupcakes and decorated cookies at the bakery could become so pricey that moms will have to go old-school and bake their own for school parties.
All unpackaged food served via salad bars, in-store bakeries, convenience stores, and hot bars must meet stringent nutritional labeling guidelines, MSN notes. According to a statement by the FDA, the Obamacare rules will “help” Americans live healthier lives. I have scoured the Constitution, and have yet to find a single sentence which details the government’s duty to behave in a parental capacity over its citizens.
Obamacare will punish those who enjoy the occasional sweet treat by raising prices. Smokers will reportedly be paying about $4,000 more per year for the mandated insurance coverage, Fox News reports. Ironically, alcoholics and drug users can still skate by living on the taxpayer’s dime. Addiction and the resulting health issues which stem from years of abuse can qualify folks for a monthly disability check. Logic, common sense, and adherence to the Constitution are quickly becoming things of the past in nanny-state America.
Grocery stores estimate the new labeling requirements will cost about $1 billion. Foods sold at grocery and convenience stores will have to be tested to determine nutritional data before they can be labeled. The added expense to remain in compliance with yet another governmental mandate will be passed onto the customer. Stores who do not comply or make labeling mistakes, can be charged with a federal crime. If a bakery staffer alters an icing recipe just a little bit, the nutritional information changes. The pastry police could slap the business with thousands of dollars worth of fines and possible jail time for such a health infraction.
Groceries prices have steadily increased and now even the healthy salad you grab for lunch will bite into your budget a little bit more. Our liberties are infringed upon more and more every day in America. Apathy will be our downfall. The federal government is so bloated that encroachment on states’ rights and individual liberties have become commonplace.
Although President Barack Obama is a to blame for a multitude of infringements on individual liberty over the past four years, he is not the only one to blame. The federal government overreach has been occurring over the course of at least three decades. Stopping the progression of the nanny-state will only happen when everyone who believes the Founding Fathers knew what they were doing go to the polls and elect lawmakers who are committed to preserving America.
How do you feel about Obamacare and government intrusion into our daily lives?
