Liberal Lunacy In Illinois: Democrats Want Soda Tax, Despite Evidence That These Taxes Don’t Work, Only Raise Money From Low Income Households
Here we go again with more liberal idiocy. The left in Obama’s home state are trying to be our nannies once again. Democratic state representative Robyn Gabel (Dem, 18th District) has now introduced a bill that would amount to a penny per ounce excise tax on sodas and other sugary beverages in her state. The idea, we can only assume, is to battle obesity and also raise money for the government at the same time.
There are a number of problems with this soda tax bill, some of which clearly delineate the differences between liberalism and conservatism. For starters, the evidence shows that this is not going to work. It is going to impact primarily low income people and households, who will end up paying a disproportionally large amount of this tax. Also, it cannot hope to achieve its stated goals.
Will it increase public health, or will it raise revenue? It clearly cannot do both. Consider for a second that if it is successful in fighting obesity more people will simply stop drinking these “bad” beverages. But, then the state will not raise revenue. On the other hand, if people continue drinking them, then the health of Illinois citizens will stay poor, but they will raise additional revenue. They cannot achieve both, at least not at the same time.
The most likely result, according to Johannes Schmidt at the Tax Foundation, is that it will fail on both accounts. It is likely to reduce the consumption of soda somewhat which will also mean that not as much revenue is raised as was intended. On the other hand, much of the former soda demand will be diverted to the consumption of other high calorie drinks. So, health outcomes are not measurably improved either.
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The libtards have never seen a tax they didn’t love and never miss an opportunity to tell us, the unwashed masses, what to do.
After all, we is too stoopid to take care of ourselves.
Liberal agenda;
If it moves; tax it, if it doesn’t move; tax it anyway.
Well, since Illinois is a “blue” state, that means that there are a bunch of tax-loving Lefties here. Here’s an idea…how about we institute a tax especially for those who like to tax?
See, since they like taxes and we don’t, and since, as they say, the main purpose of government is to make things “fair”, I feel that making them pay more taxes than we do is only just.
Sorry. I was trying to think like them there and it gave me a migraine.
Let them stew, for a while. Much like smoking in Hong Kong, the proposed rate isn’t based in reality.
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1435692/budget-reaction-tobacco-duty-increase-not-enough-get-smokers-quit
Imbeciles
The wealthy and middle class can buy those fake soda machines and avoid the tax.
And I’m sure the politicians will be exempt.
ot
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/a-new-jersey-cheerleader-is-suing-her-parents-to-pay-for-her
High school senior Rachel Canning is suing her parents. She wants them to pay for her private-school tuition, college tuition, and living expenses.
The Democrat toilet is huge. Money must be thrown into the gaping maw. It is insatiable. Any excuse to extract money from the public is pursued because it is for ‘the greater good’, their greater good.
“The idea, we can only assume, is to battle obesity…”
Please explain that battle plan to me.
How do they tax a Soda Stream machine?
Let them raise it, they’re beyond the curve anyway.
The “Let’s Moo” campaign already forced soda makers to reduce the size of bottled soda from 20 ounces to 16 ounces.
It must have hurt sales, because the 20 ounce bottles came back but they’re now $1.69-$1.89. When I used to buy them they were $1.25 at the most expensive places.
You see, people like me have already SUBSTITUTED the decrease in size and increase in price. I hit the soda fountain now or I buy a quart of ice tea for $0.99. The tea by the way has more calories and more sugar. I used to see people all the time with 20 ounce bottles of soda, today no matter what gas station I’m standing in line at, nobody is buying bottled soda. If they’re buying soda, they’ve got 44 ounce cups!
So if they decide to increase the tax on soda, I’ll simply wait for sales to buy at the same cost or I’ll find another substitute. It’s not as if I have to have soda, but I do find it convenient now and then.
well, the only way to give the truly needy a waiver on the soda tax is to just make a positive unexpected balance to their (D)EBT card by, oh say, $30 a month – guess whose a racist if they don’t go along
“It is going to impact primarily low income people and households”
Good. Let them do that, if it’s the only way to slap these lofos in the face with reality.
@Corona — I read the same sentence but immediately thought of FDR.
You will hear the ‘tards say that the top tax rate under FDR was actually lower than under previous Republican presidents. It was. But he ran the federal excise taxes up so high, it had a negative effect on buying because it hit the low income folks who couldn’t afford to buy things due to the high tax rate.
But here’s the worst part. The libtard LoFo’s in Shitcago will STILL vote democrat even though the democrats are making them pay more for everything they buy.