"A couple of hundred dentists are expected to converge...."

Jeff Winkler | April 23, 2009

...That's the ominous lede from a breaking news item out of Illinois. Even more frightening? Those denture pimps are at the State Capital to push for a five percent sales tax on soda pop.

Ok. Ok. To be fair, the money would go towards state the dental program for the poor. But–as my predecessor pointed out last year–there are alternatives that don't require the ISDS or a pop tax. Specifically, alternatives that could bypass the ISDS (a constituent of the American Dental Association) and allow folks to take better care of their own.   

That, or, the convergence of dentists could all be for show. As Associate Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward noted in previous posts, New York Gov. David Paterson's proposed soda tax was just awareness raising.

Reason.tv Editor Nick Gillespie has been in the trenches of the Soda Wars. Senior Editor Jacob Sullum on the food police here. Contributor Michael Lynch on taxing your way to self-control here.

High Five: The Chicagoist

Comments

|4.23.09 @ 12:09PM|#

Sometimes I feel like the inside of my mouth looks like that picture after I've eaten a bowl of Captain Crunch.

|4.23.09 @ 12:16PM|#

Pop?

|4.23.09 @ 12:30PM|#

Pop?

Yeah, pop. Sweetened carbonated beverages are called pop. You some fag from Califoria or something?
;-)

|4.23.09 @ 12:32PM|#

Let the regional terminology wars begin! Submarine sandwich? Grinder? Hoagie?

|4.23.09 @ 12:34PM|#

I can for the life of me come up with a reason why dentists would be interesting in funding a program that would allow more people to visit them.

EscapedWestOfTheBigMuddy|4.23.09 @ 12:40PM|#

Let the regional terminology wars begin! Submarine sandwich? Grinder? Hoagie?

Mandatory link: North American Regional Vocabulary Survey

SpongePaul|4.23.09 @ 12:43PM|#

soda, pop, coke, fizz. i know pop is used by my old boss from PA. down south every "soda" is called coke. Its funny to go to a mcd's and ask for a coke, then the question of what kind, the first time i heard it i was like, ummm coke, they said what kind of coke, a coke, dr. pepper, sprite. i said a coke coke. did not know why it was hard for her to understand, until i realized that people here call everything a coke

Old Bull Lee|4.23.09 @ 12:55PM|#

And there's an ad for veneers in my browser. Reason is just shilling for Big Teeth.

|4.23.09 @ 12:56PM|#

Just having fun. But of all of the regional nomenclature for carbonated beverages, "pop" is the funniest. Sounds like something the Beav would order, by golly.

slobberchop|4.23.09 @ 1:05PM|#

Awesome pop map here: http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/?s=soda+pop

PantsFan|4.23.09 @ 1:19PM|#

My girlfriend is from Germany, and her mother uses the term "Fanta" for coke. I don't think it's a regional thing, it's just her.

I recall my childhood dentist giving me a candy treat after every good checkup.

Colonel_Angus|4.23.09 @ 1:27PM|#

Knowing Illinois, it won't matter if it is all just for show. They would pass the tax anyway.

Jeff P|4.23.09 @ 1:38PM|#

A sense a public speaking opportunity for Peter Bonerz...

Naga Sadow|4.23.09 @ 1:52PM|#

spongepaul,

It goes both ways. Many a person has ordered "soda" with their cocktail from me. They are usually perplexed to discover that I put (club)soda in their drink. It is always amusing.

ChrisO|4.23.09 @ 2:01PM|#

Is it safe?

|4.23.09 @ 2:27PM|#

"...why dentists would be interesting in funding a program that would allow more people to visit them."

They have to buy bigger chairs.

Citizen Nothing|4.23.09 @ 3:05PM|#

Naga, So when they ask for a "scotch and soda," they're actually hoping for some Mountain Dew in the Johnnie Walker?

|4.23.09 @ 3:35PM|#

"Reason is just shilling for Big Teeth."

OBL wins thread! Film at 11!

Mike Laursen|4.24.09 @ 1:49AM|#

I have a bunch of friends who are dentists. If a bunch of them are converging in one spot, it's guaranteed their true purpose is to write off a weekend of golfing or skiing or something like that.