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Hawaii state senator: 'No adult gives a crap about a polar bear'Back in October, Coca-Cola announced that it would revamp its iconic red can as part of a fundraising effort in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund, in hopes of increasing polar bear research in the Arctic, and preserving a safe Arctic environment for polar bear habitat, an environment under duress as warming weather causes increased sea ice melt. Now, that seemingly innocuous goal has become a point of contention in a debate about marketing to children and a proposed tax on soda in Hawaii. In a speech sure to be debated by environmentalists, a Hawaii state senator has accused Coca-Cola of marketing to children with their revamped can, which features illustrated polar bears as part of the fundraiser. According to the Honolulu-based online news site Civil Beat, Hawaii state Senator Josh Green said during a speech in the Senate that Coke is targeting kids with its marketing. "Coke sells, what was it, polar bears, right?" Civil Beat reports Green as saying. "No adult gives a crap about a polar bear." A proposed law in Hawaii would tax sweetened "beverages, syrups and powders," at a rate of about 1 cent per teaspoon of sugar added -- a can of Coke has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, according to Civil Beat. Read more about the proposed tax -- and it possible efficacy -- at Civil Beat. Senator "Green" sounds like he's out of touch. Coke, Pepsi and the rest of the soft drinks all have huge amounts of sugar. The Polar Bear has been Coke's mascot for a number of years. Adults and kids alike would drink it no matter what is on the can as long as the flavor appeals to them. If parents don't want their kids to drink soft drinks - don't let them. It could just as easily be said "No adult gives a crap about a chicken." considering how much McDonalds has in sales of chicken nuggets. Coke is only good to clean car battery terminals with anyway. We should have a tax credit program for polar bear hunts. It’s an expensive hunt. Incenting it with tax credits would put money a lot of money in the pockets of Alaskans. Certainly very little would go to non-Alaskans. Not many people from Hollywood or Hawaii are polar bear hunters. Right. Sports hunts are only legal in a few parts of Canada and illegal in Alaska since the early ’70s, so I’m at a loss to understand how “tax credits would put money a lot of money in the pockets of Alaskans”. Are you advocating that Alaskans should a tax credit to go to Canada and shoot Polar Bears? The Bear’s “threatened” designation under the Endangered Species Act a few years ago means that the trophy is illegal to import to the US, which Alaska is still part of unless I’ve missed something, so selling the rug or mount is not a legal option. My understanding is the State’s film tax credit only applies to production costs incurred in Alaska, so that seems to rule out making a movie of a hunt in Canada that you could tour the entire world, showing it in church basements and community centers. I have a better idea. Alaska should provide tax credits for trips to the slots in Las Vegas. Doing that would “put money[,] a lot of money in the pockets of Alaskans”. At the risk of sounding like a Sienfeld segment, I feel that Hawaii is way out of line re: "No adult gives a crap about a polar bear". First of all we Alaskans do give a crap about our polar bears both children and adults. I think Senator Green should schedule himself a trip up here soon to actually meet a polar bear. Then he would change his tune. As far as his charge that Coke targets kids - of course. Actually ten teaspoons of sugar would attract them as well. |
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