IWF: This week, a city council committee approved a 1.5 cent-per-ounce surcharge on sweetened beverages. The sweeping proposal would increase the cost of drinks that include sports drinks, sweetened teas and other beverages that have added sugars as well as those that are artificially sweetened such as diet soda.
Philadelphia’s Mayor Jim Kenney originally proposed a 3-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks, but his proposal didn’t include artificially sweetened drinks. As a “compromise,” the city council committee cut the size of the tax, but expanded the scope. They estimate that it would raise $91 million over the next year, which is slightly less than the $95 million Kenney’s proposal was estimated to raise.
The revenue raised is allegedly going to be used to fund education programs including expanding pre-kindergarten and to pad the general fund. ABC News reports:
“It will fund the largest investment in education and neighborhood programs in decades,” Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for Mayor Jim Kenney, said today. “Over the next five years, it would provide over $400 million to pre-k, community schools and improvements to parks, rec centers and libraries.”
This is not the first effort for a major city to pass such a sin tax. New York City and Francisco also tried and failed to get their measures through. Perhaps that’s why Nanny State former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg intervened to spent thousands of dollars to support the push for this tax.
In addition, to win support among retailers, the bill gives merchants a $2,000 one-time tax credit if they sell healthy beverages which are defined as beverages that don’t contain sugar-based or artificial sweeteners. Drinks with sucrose and stevia are out. The credit may not be enough though. Merchants carry what their customers want so the extra healthy drinks may very well sit idly on store shelves.
Those aren’t politicians, those are tyrants. I seem to recall some actor named Booth having a good idea of what to do with tyrants.
Bottles and cans for home use, will just be purchased from nearby towns. Restaurants may see a drop in sales,further reducing tax revenue. Or, people may just suck it up and sheeple on. Either way, the money will never be used as stated.
How bout a tax on the creation of new laws or taxes. $10,000 a word (paid for by the politicians voting and enacting it? We could create an offset of say $5,000 a word for any tax or law that is repealed.
Really, does the government pay their fair share? They are a lot better off than we are.
What, exactly, is the purpose of this – other than for democrat politicians to confiscate more taxpayer wages?
If they were really concerned about sugary drinks they would not allow them to be purchased with food stamps since EBT users are the most obese.
Unlike cigarettes, beverages don’t have tax stamps. Maryland Delaware and New Jersey should profit handsomely from this legislation.
The stupid shall be punished. Fittingly.
$0.015 per ounce.
So a 32 oz. Gatorade will cost an additional $0.48?
Goes from a dollar to $1.48 in one fell swoop?
Fuck Philly. Fuck Kenney. Fuck the Council.
I hope the stores in the suburbs stock up.
Long as they don’t fuck with Scotch, Purple Drank, or MD 20/20, I guess the LIPs of Philly will suck it up, roll over, and play dead.
Sheesh! This country’s FUCKED!
izlamo delenda est …
Just a bet … the schools will continue to suck, the “infrastructure” will continue to deteriorate, and the parks, rec-centers, and libraries will continue to be flop-houses for maggots, bums, hobos, and derelicts.
Nothing will change. NOTHING!
Who wants a piece of my action?
izlamo delenda est …
I just bought a bunch of 32oz Gatorade G2’s from Publix for 88 cents each. This tax would add 48 cents. That is about a 55% increase.
These are low calorie sports drinks I drink after running five miles or working out.
Let me get this straight, I need to be punished for taking care of myself and replenishing electrolytes after vigorous exercise?
FUCK THESE ASSHOLES!
IT MUST BE BURNED DOWN…NOW!
The pols used to at least pay lip service to some perverted notion of “greater good” or “for the children.” But the tyrants of Philly seem to have given up on even that inconsequential window dressing: it isn’t fighting obesity or helping any other “public health” issue to tax the shit out of artificially sweetened crap drinks.
I am absolutely positive that their estimated revenues from this imposition do not take into account that (this needs to be shouted) WHEN PRICE GOES UP SALES GO DOWN. I expect sales of taxed drinks will go WAY down via people buying in bulk in suburban Sam’s or Costco or BJ’s, or simply by changing their habits and drinking something else that’s cheaper. And, finally, because ffuture revenues will be so far below expectations, don’t expect a penny of that money to do to the beneficiaries named today.
I tell ya, tar and feathers and being ridden out of town on a rail is TOO GOOD FOR ‘EM!
So are they going to charge this unfair tax at baseball parks, football stadiums, hockey arenas etc. And what about movie theaters where the price for pop is already outrageously overpriced? What are all the poor fat slobs going to do? I can guarandamtee you they won’t quit drinking soda pop etc. When pop is outlawed only fat slobs will continue to drink it because they’re fat slobs tax or no tax.
The end of soda with your meal in Philly
The way things are developing only those with free housing, free phones, free medical and free EBT cards will be able to eat or drink what they choose.
Poverty is a career for lots of well paid people ~ Ronald Reagan
They’d better not pull this crap in NYC. If they do, it will be WAR.
I pay close to one-third of my gross income in Federal, state, city, FICA, New York State sales, Westchester County sales, New York City sales, and property taxes. One of the few joys I have left in my life anymore is sipping a nice, cold, 20-oz. soda during my commute home.
Enough is enough
Black market Coke just got a new meaning.
Ten-Ten: Isn’t that whut Instagram is for?
Yonkers, 1/3?
That is one hell of a deal. I pay over that just in self employment tax (SS, Medicare, etc) and fed income tax.
Liberalism means freedom to exercise liberty and individualism. If you disagree with me you will be punished severely.
They said, “It will fund the largest investment in education and neighborhood programs in decades.”
85% of all the revenue spend on “education” is spent on administrative costs. IOW, salaries, benefits and pensions for the teacher’s unions and more featherbedding.
Lordie I have no idea what it’ll take-I’m at a loss.
Most urban wastelands are in a death spiral. More and more producers, mostly white, have moved into the suburbs. Hence the Obama/Jarrett planes to move more lowlifes via Sec 8 there. They also are demanding that any percentage of new housing include low income(no income) housing.
Won’t it be grand? Diversity, it’s the bee’s knees.
We weren’t allowed to drink sodas as kids except on special occasions. That didn’t take $91 million. It took concerned and loving and engaged parents. Nothing but a shakedown from the power monopoly.
@JohnS:
Has your income increased since 2013? Do you pay $4.00 for a gallon of milk? $4.00 for a loaf of bread? $2.69 a pop for red peppers? $5.25 to dry-clean a woman’s sweater?
Also, you probably make more than I do. I am seriously struggling, trying to get a stagnant salary, intense overtaxation, and prices in one of the most expensive metropolitan areas in the world to jibe. It ain’t workin.’
Stop buying it. The retailers will stomp the guts out of the legislators.
it’s “for the children” is severly overused, dragged out everytime another tax is proclaimed, how about the national debt? i guess that’s for the children too…
Apparently Nutter wasn’t the worst Mayor Philthadelphia could find……