Posted on 03/08/2010 5:08:18 PM PST by bruinbirdman
Mr Bloomberg, whose administration has already targeted unhealthy trans fats in food and banned smoking from many public areas, has urged New York state legislators to impose a tax of a cent per ounce on the sugary drinks.
He described the soda tax - equivalent to an extra eight pence on a can - as "a fix that just makes sense", saving lives and cutting rising health care costs.
"An extra 12 cents on a can of soda would raise nearly $1 billion (£663 million), allowing us to keep community health services open and teachers in the classroom," he said on his weekly radio programme on Sunday.
"And, at the same time, it would help us fight a major problem plaguing our children: obesity."
David Paterson, the mayor of New York state, has already proposed a soda tax but it was dropped last year following a public outcry.
Mr Bloomberg has suggested a slightly different tax, involving a direct levy on drink producers, and has astutely highlighted its financial benefits at a time when the state faces a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall.
Officials in Philadelphia last week presented the city's proposed fiscal budget for 2011, which includes a two cents per ounce levy on all sugar-sweetened drinks.
The American Beverage Association, whose members include the makers of Coca-Cola and Pepsi, said Mr Bloomberg's proposal would not work and could threaten jobs.
"Taxes don't work for making people healthier," said an association spokesman.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
How is it different than cigarette taxes? How is it different than alcohol taxes?
I like in an alcohol control state and if you want to buy liquor when the state stores aren’t open you will get raped in the privately owned stores due o the state taxes.
How is this different than any other excise tax or sales tax? I honestly am not the biggest fan of any kind of tax but I can’t exactly say I’d oppose this in my own locality. I actually oppose taxes on food but I wouldn’t class soda as a necessity anymore than cigarettes or alcohol and I personally don’t believe that it should be able to be bought by those WIC and food stamp cards.
There should be an A$$**** tax for mayors making more than $1.oo.
Bllomberg is nuts.
Hey, Bloomberg, hows about cutting the huge, ridiculous, salaries, benefits and pensions that teachers are getting, even as most New York high scool students remain basically illiterate after finishing high school?
I like soda, and I am buying my soda in bulk from Wal Mart at Secaucus in Jersey on Sundays, if this bill passes. Bloomberg is a bloody idiot. How about he concentrates on cutting the bloated costs of paying these tenured New York City teachers, etc instead of imposing even more taxes again?
Community health services and teachers in the classroom? Just another bone to throw to SEIU and NYSUT. Why not waive the nickel deposit for water or diet soda instead? That’s what I thought.
>>I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again: FreeRepublic needs an edit function so people can fix errors in their posts. <<
Many is the time I have gotten grief for missing the word “not” in my post. And don’t get me started on what happens when I miss my end < /i> tag!
You’re an idiot...creeping socialism...
No I’m not.
In Alabama the bottle of whiskey that costs you $20 in the state store will cost you about $30 in the package store. That extra cost in the private store vs. the state store is all taxes and licensing. And the thing is, even though the state store is run by the state with all revenue going to the state, they still levy a special 6% sales tax levy at every ABC store.
Socialism is when the government controls what you do, says what you can and cannot buy, etc. And a tax on soda is a voluntary tax. If you don’t want to pay it don’t buy the soda.
Personally, for me soda is not a necessity. I use it in the occassional mixed drink. Other than that and the occassional pure sugar cane made soda you’ll never see me consume a soft drink and I strongly encourage my kids not to. To the point that I don’t buy them soda. When they get it its because the wife takes pity or they use their own money. I simply refuse to pay for it.
And that’s your right. As someone who doesn’t like paying the alcohol taxes in Alabama whenever I am in Louisiana I often buy alcohol in bulk and truck it back into the state.
Having said that that is why I feel this is a decision best made at the local level. So that if say your city makes it you can always have the option to drive somewhere else.
Having said that a tax on soda is nowhere near as offensive as public smoking bans and some of the other laws that cities pass with nowhere near as many complaints.
FreeRepublic is like a conservatives life, you make a mistake, and you have to live with it.
What it DOES have that isn't like real life is "Preview"
Don’t kid yourself, it will be another generation at least before America is ready to elect a Jewish POTUS, if ever.
I would have no problem with a conservative Jewish president. But I dislike socialists of any stripe, so Bloomberg and his way of thinking can go in the trash heap.
twelve cents no less... tacked onto the deposit???
----------------------------
Nor would I. I do not believe though that there are 70,000,000 (or even half that number) Americans who would vote for any kind of Jewish POTUS candidate.
Judging by the number of Jewish Senators and Congressmen (which greatly exceed, in their percentage of seats, the 2% share Jews have of the American population), I would say that you would be wrong, as gentiles throughout the US have shown themselves willing to vote for the Chosen. On the other hand, you could be right if Israel-skeptic voters view the Presidency (and its control of foreign policy), as being too risky to trust to a Jewish candidate. I hope that the latter is not true, but it could be a mitigating factor.
Additionally, the sword of Damocles that hangs over us all is the arab-Israeli issue. We (the US) have been able to broker temporary but continuous cease-fire conditions because we can be considered neutral. Elect a Jewish POTUS and that presumed neutrality ceases to exist. The muslims would start up and the Israelis would push back but there would be nobody to set the table for talking.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.