Alabama will be the first state to charge overweight state workers who don’t work on slimming down, while a handful of other states reward employees who adopt healthy behaviors.
I whole heartedly agree with this. It’s time for people to stop expecting others to pay the price for their unhealthy lifestyle choices. If you want to do something unhealthy like smoke or put yourself at a dangerous weight then you should bear the cost of those choices.
I think this kind of responsibility should be extended to welfare programs. If you are getting government assistance of any kind I think you should be expected to not use drugs, smoke or drink alcohol. If someone is taking taxpayer money for necessities like food, housing, or medication then they certainly have no business buying these types of luxuries along with things like cable, cellphones, and internet access.
I don’t have a very feasible plan to accomplish this and it’s sad that people don’t have the sense of pride and integrity to give these items up on their own when someone else is footing the bill. Do you have no shame?
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EMMY: SKIP THIS.
I think I disagree [never thought about it]. The problem is then it opens the door to government infringing upon our freedoms. If people want to be fat, or smoke, or drink, it is their responsability. I’d rather they just have to pay more in medical costs and health insurance, but if it is worth it to them, let them eat and drink away. Do-gooder liberals already try to dictate (by tax policies and legislation) that we not smoke, drink, or eat foods cooked in trans-fatty acids. I agree that people should be shamed into losing weight, and have pride in themselves, and that they should have to pay for their own vices, though. Unless you can demonstrate that the state workers cause the government to actually pay more for the fatties, though (like wider chairs?) I don’t want the state interfering with either bonuses to underweights or charges to fatties.
Health insurance costs more if you are overweight. Who should pay that extra cost? The person who chooses to be overweight or the employer? I think the person who is overweight should pay the difference. So that is how fat state workers cost the government money. And I say this as an overweight person.
Are you saying that if someone is taking you hard earned money in the form of food stamps you don’t have a problem with them then turning around and spending their own money on cigarettes? I saw online that the average smoker smokes a pack a day. Im not up on prices but according to this, in the US a pack costs about 3.71 but I also have seen an article saying that they cost 9 in New York. For a two smoker household that means 2 packs a day or between $222 and $540 a month. I’m mostly guessing at these other prices.
Cable $50
cell phone $100
Internet $20
Throw in a couple packs of beer and a few other drinks and these luxuries probably come in somewhere around $200.
That kind of money could go a long way toward buying your own groceries. If you can afford any of these things then I don’t feel the least bit responsible to pay for your food, housing or medication.
I’m surprised we disagree on this.