Posted on 08/11/2017 8:32:38 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Concern about the political effects of a deeply unpopular county pop tax — on top of recent state and city tax increases — on Thursday hung over the first day of Cook County Democrats' endorsement session for next year's primary election.
Northwest Side Ald. Nicholas Sposato, 38th, said he expects some backlash against the pop tax "down the road in the election next year." People complaining to him about the tax "are blaming the Democrats," he said, adding that the income tax increase would compound the problem.
Democrats last month overrode Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto of a state income tax rate hike from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent, a move made to end a two-year state budget stalemate and try to balance the state's books.
"It certainly will affect the party," Sposato said. "There will be some backlash for it."
Even elected officials who don't serve on the County Board and had no role in enacting the penny-per-ounce beverage levy are getting heat.
"People at the grocery store are asking me why I voted for it," said one Democratic elected official who doesn't serve at the county level and asked not to be identified to avoid conflict with party leaders. "There is a combination effect. You've got this tax, the city putting on taxes, the state income tax. There may be a backlash."
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
At least steaks and lobster are nutritious
They are not eating the steak and lobster, they are reselling it at a discount so they can get money for drugs.
what about all of the other taxes & fees? Democrats need to held accountable for those also.
Because the soda industry lobbied for it?
Your typical demoRta has concerns about the soda making people FAT while the world burns....how stupid can one be???? Soda pop tax is the most important thing going....FYI...who cares...WTF!!!
I didn’t know deadbeats didn’t have to pay a sales tax on food they buy. I know I do.
The little guy is still paying the tax, but it is not reflected at the cash register.
Yet another demonstration of the old truism that taxes are never levied for the benefit of the taxed!
This tax is levied on the proprietors (aka merchants) who dare to sell any of the following; soda, sport or energy drink, sweetened tea, waters containing natural or artificial sweeteners, beverages containing 50 percent or less fruit or vegetable juice, and all other preparations commonly known as soft drinks (aka pop drinks), at the rate of a penny-per-ounce for Cook County. Of course what this means is that the merchants will raise prices to offset their costs and will likely do away with free refills.
The American Heart Association applauds the measure as they regard sugar drinks as a prime cause of obesity and hope that the majority consumers of pop (note not pot), the poor, will reduce their intake as done in Bezerkly CA (-21% 2014)! What the politicos KNOW is that they have the GAPING budget hole from over-promised pensions and the guesstimate of $74million in tax revenue will be ‘refreshing’!
I predict large sales at stores outside Cook County lines until the Chicago PD gets new orders to ignore flying bullets and clampdown on Pop smuggling ((note not pot))!
Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner here folks!
I love RC cola.
Canada Dry is my ginger ale choice. Schweppes stuff I never cared for.
In California they passed the no plastic bags given out at grocery stores, etc. They exempted EBT users. Everyone pays a dime or 15 cents for a bag if you don’t bring your own except EBT users. They get bags handed out for free.
So now it’s super easy to spot them. Everyone but EBT users are schlepping their own bags into the grocery stores.
There’s about 68 ounces in a two liter bottle. At Walmart even big
National brands are sometimes available for a buck for two liters. So these geniuses enacted a 68% tax and they’re concerned there
Might be some backlash. Ya think?
Taxation without reparations!
The SNAP program is more about Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Kraft-Heinz, Armour, Campbells, Tyson, Walmart, Kroger and Safeway than the poor.
It solves their key business problem. “How do we sell our goods to people who don’t have any money?”
There’s a reason why Iowa Congressman Steve King proposed diverting SNAP funds to a border wall. King represents one of the biggest farming districts in the country and knows EXACTLY how the SNAP money is spent because it’s 75% of the ‘Farm’ Bill.
A couple of bottles of Canada Dry are always around at home.
It’s one of the best things when I am ailing.
I switched to drinking Perrier with lemon, and that has gotten me off of soda.
I might try that.
Thanks for the tip.
I saw the report on this on Fox, and was amazed when they showed the price for a 12-pack of Coke at $16.99, plus county tax plus sugar fee plus soda fee for a total of $20.48. Really? If that’s the price, (a) I doubt they sell much Coke in Cook County at five times my sales price here, and (b) that’s a lot less percentage of tax than a penny an ounce would be here.
How bad is this Fox reporter that he couldn’t google the Cook County Osco and see that the 12-pack sells for under five dollars?
“People complaining to him about the tax “are blaming the Democrats,”
Duh. It’s not like there are enough Republicans in Cook County to do anything about it.
L
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