Politicians hungry for tax revenue have become very puritanical about cigarettes, soda and supermarket bags.

The late senator Russell Long (D--La.) famously described the American view of tax policy as "Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax that fellow behind the tree." Facing huge deficits and rebellious taxpayers, state, local and national pols are looking to tax the sinner behind the tree. Sin taxes--as in excises imposed on alcohol and tobacco--are quite the rage these days.

Sin Taxes Are All the Rage