Sin Tax Article Review

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Sin Tax

A more simplistic definition to define sin taxes would be a tax on goods that are not needed for everyday survival or goods that are deemed immoral to society. Sin taxes also know as excise taxes date back to the Post Revolutionary Era. A sin tax is a form of tax used to “raise revenue for the government and…curtail behaviors that are unsavory” (Class notes). Sin taxes where mostly popular in the prohibition era the government not only used sin taxes to raise revenue but also a “noble experiment” for the government to take a national stand in order to curtail alcohol use (Class notes). In their quest to wage war on the budget the government has passed sin taxes on everyday goods such as “tobacco, alcohol, gasoline and candy”, this also including taxes on “pole and gambling” (Class notes). In this essay I will examine two different articles “Hate the Sin, Tax the Sinner” and “Paying with our Sins” on their view points on the use of sin taxes to raise revenue for the government.

This two argumentative essays argue the pros “Paying with our Sins” and cons “Hate the Sin, Tax the Sinner” of sin taxes. In “Paying with our Sins” the author argues that “now is the time to legalize (and tax) drugs, prostitution and gambling” (Gillespie). He goes to argue that instead of letting these vices go to waste the government should legalize these vices and tax them (Gillespie). He provides evidence why legalizing these vices will be beneficial in raising revenue. This article argues this point on three ideas that taxing these lifestyles will help President Obama, law enforcement, and end black markets. In respects to President Obama he thinks that taxed vices will lead “revenue streams” that would help with his health car...

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...ent. Even though clearly it seems as if they are a good idea as stated in the “Paying with our Sins” articles the government should be trying to eradicate these behaviors instead of gaining funds from them. The foreshadowing created in the “Paying with our Sins” articles clearly says it all that America is not a Sin city on a Hill but a City up on Hill (Gillespie). These two articles argue the pros and cons of imposing taxes and why they would either be good for generating revenue and also why they would be bad for society as a whole.

Works Cited

Manna, Sharon. “Class notes”.

Gillespie, Nick. Paying with our Sins. 20 May 2009. 18 Oct. 2010 .

Sirico, Robert A. Hate the Sin, Tax the Sinner? 20 May 2009. 20 Oct. 2010 .

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