Originally Posted by MTUpower

The first thing that needs to happen is for you and everyone that takes your position is to admit that these choices are stupid. You ignore that and then call my position "rhetoric... (that is) ...long in the tooth" which pretty much says if I say it anymore you will ban me or give me an infraction. Veiled threats from a moderator against "one side" while speaking as a member posting from the "other side"" on a subject is akin to a judge acting as a prosecutor in a trial. Either ***** or get off the pot- you should not be doing both. How do you defend the tanning bed tax, or do you dislike it also?
You don't see any way this can happen- well you and others cannot see alot of things (and I cannot see things also- really no one is can excluded here). I can't see an easy way to do it either, but the view saying we cannot do it so it's off the table lacks any faith in both human ability and medical technology. I'm sure we can find a test to see if you've smoked tobacco in your life, and how long. With billions and billions of $ going toward health stuff I'm confident American ingenuity can figure that out.
BMI is a no brainer or a little brainer that won't need 2700 pages to explain it- and while again you think we do not have the political will to do this- that again lacks faith in the American people. We already believe in punishing folks for bad decisions- if you do not buy a hybrid you cannot drive in the car pool lane. We give tax breaks to hybrid buyers. We implement taxes then give breaks to folks that don't do stupid things. Why not BMI and tobacco use in health care? Insurance companies do it already- you smoke you pay a higher rate. You are fat? you pay a higher rate. People in 1989 would not believe much of what is happening now if you told them in 20 years X will happen.
If they majority takes your position then eventually the majority will also see that the rewards come for acting stupidly and we will spiral downward into the socialist hell some of us recognize and fear.