Posted on 11/08/2024 1:40:11 PM PST by nickcarraway
Measure Z, Santa Cruz’s sugar-sweetened beverage tax, is set to pass according to the latest elections results.
With 21,510 votes ballots cast, the Yes on Z campaign has 51.62% of the vote, while No on Z trails with 48.38%.
The measure will implement a 2 cents per ounce tax on sweetened beverages and raise $1.3 million a year for improving parks, providing safe routes to schools, expanding recreational programs and health initiatives.
Measure Z was drafted by the Santa Cruz City Council, following the example of cities like San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland, which implemented their own similar taxes.
“(I’m) feeling proud of our accomplishments in elevating the conversation about this important issue and (am) optimistic!” said District 3 City Council member Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson in a text message.
The Yes On Z campaign was significantly outspent by the opposition, which was bankrolled by beverage companies.
No on Z ran an ubiquitous ad campaign on TV, in print and online through various media outlets that bombarded SC voters. The ads targeted young and low-income residents, warning them of increased prices, and the campaign drew support from dozens of restaurants and small businesses.
Soda corporations like Coca-Cola and Pepsico poured over $1 million into the No campaign, showing the power of corporate lobbying. But these special interests found unlikely allies among labor unions and activists that railed against what they called a regressive tax on working-class residents.
Could be cheaper to drink unleaded gasoline with ethanol.
See outcome for Philadelphia
Philadelphia Tax on Sweetened Drinks Led to Drop in Sales
Philadelphia’s tax on sweetened beverages led to a 38.9 percent drop in the volume of taxed beverages sold at small, independent retailers and a significant increase in the price of taxed beverages, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
I am glad I do not live in Santa Cruz.
The companies should simply cease all sales in that jurisdiction.
I think the $1.3 million expected in extra revenue for this soda tax is likely to be offset, maybe completely, by a drop in sales.
They tried that in Chicago Crook county and the residents crossed over the Indiana border and stocked up. Dumb ashes.
Were there positive health outcomes, like less diabetes?
They tried this in Philadelphia, people just drove to a store right outside the tax zone and stocked up on soda a couple times a month.
Would that mean they made more money?
That’s still quite a trip to get soda, for a lot of people.
Regular working folks hate high taxes—and the best way to fight this one is to deal with the inconvenience and buy the soda elsewhere.
Here in CT people think nothing of driving one hundred miles to NH for cheaper liquor.
If they buy it in bulk the trip is worth it.
That should be a beautiful place. The beach, the pier, the amusement park at the beach. The full size railroad going right down the center of the main street with cars and pedestrians.
Stayed there one night driving PCH before I knew. The hotel was ultra security conscious and warned about things in cars etc.
When the sun went down we were going to walk to a pizza place 3 blocks away. It was like a zombie movie with bums, stoned college age bums, street people constantly aggressively panhandling. Didn’t have any daytime problems and left by noon. This was back in 2012.
It’s a shame, that should be a cool place.
Don’t let the sun go down on you there.
Don’t know. But if a jurisdiction specifically attacks your product unjustly, with a special tax, I would pull it from the market there.
Let the city collect no taxes at all.
PCH? You must be from Southern California!
they probably raised a bit more money on gas taxes.
My friends thought the whole thing was ridiculous and simply bought their sodas in Ft Washington, Conshohocken, went across the Ben Franklin Bridge to Pennsauken, NJ and got their sodas and had their gas tank filled by station attendants.
Nope... my college age daughter and I went on a massive road trip for 2 weeks commemorating an event. Hit most states west of the Rockies.
Santa Cruz was a shame... that place needs to be cleaned up.
Im not a consumer of sugar sodas but millions of Americans like to purchase them.
either way, it is fascinating how the leftist masses will vote, vote, vote for more and more taxation and oppression
(and crime, and illegals like Arab terrorists and Mexican drug pushers, and baby murder factories funded by our forced payment of taxes)
these voters are totally anti-life, anti-liberty, anti-American through and through....Lenin was reported to have said that the capitalists will sell the communists the ropes that the latter will use to hang the former
nowadays, these leftists, modern day commies vote for their own hangings
“Could be cheaper to drink unleaded gasoline with ethanol.”
Ethanol should be put in charred oak barrels and loving cared for many years until ready. Preferably in Kentucky or Tennessee. The sweet spirit of Sour Mash Whiskey is then ready to be sold to a loyal and grateful public. If you do not like sour mash you are probably a commie left wing radical. LOL
Ethanol has no damn business in gasoline. I ruined many 2 cycle engines with that crap until service stations started selling alcohol free gasoline, but at a premium price. Oddly my 4 cycle engines eat the alcohol adulterated gasoline with no problem.
On the Central Coast and Northern California, it's called "The 1" or "Highway 1." It is also called Cabrillo Highway in some places, but I don't hear anyone use that, but I would accept it. No PCH.
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