Soda Pop Tax Passed

[Cheese]

Philly passed a Soda Pop tax for all soda pops sold in 2017.

Philadelphia became the first major American city with a soda tax on Thursday despite a multimillion-dollar campaign by the beverage industry to block it.

The City Council gave final approval to a 1.5 cent-per-ounce tax on sugary and diet beverages. The tax is set to take effect in the city, which markets itself as the place where the first flavored carbonated beverage was sold, on Jan. 1.


The tax will be levied on distributors. If they pass it entirely on to consumers, the cost of a 12-ounce can of soda would go up 18 cents. A six-pack of 16-ounce bottles would go up $1.44. Those extra charges would be much higher than the sales taxes imposed on soda by many states and some other cities.

Some of the money raised by the tax will go to pay for city employee benefits and pet projects of council members and to build up municipal budget reserve.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/philadelphia-set-ok-soda-tax-despite-industry-opposition-045527953.html

 

[Pliny Pete]

Theyve already passed those taxes a couple years ago out here in the Bay Area
World kept spinnin

 

[Cheese]

Theyve already passed those taxes a couple years ago out here in the Bay Area
World kept spinnin

The link says this the First Major city to pass it. Face it, the Bay Area is just local like Q.

 

[Angry Conservative]

What a bunch of leftist nonsense.

 

[blopdak]

Money grab under the guise of a benefit to society.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

This is really going to hurt my bottom line.

 

[Fatchops]

People should be buying beer anyway

 

[Gorack]

It's completely disingenuous for the government to levy a higher tax on a product (high fructose corn syrup) when it's the government's fault, through corn subsidies, that the product has become so commonly used in our food and beverage products. Soda taxes punish the consumer for consuming something that the government itself is responsible for proliferating. Prior to the mid 70's natural sugar (sucrose) was used in most soda products. Now it's almost impossible to avoid HFCS completely, again because the government financially supports its production.

Doesn't really matter much to me as I rarely drink soda but I disagree with the principle.

 

[Loiosh]

I don't understand how they can target specific products like that, especially products primarily consumed by low income households.

I don't drink sugary drinks because they're poison, but it seems unfair, like the MASSIVE taxation on cigarettes. Taxing people who are addicted seems unethical.

 

[RerouteToRemain]

Lol $.18 on a 12oz can. $.30 on a 20oz bottle. Seems ridiculous. A twelve pack will go up $2.16.

 

[RerouteToRemain]

I don't understand how they can target specific products like that, especially products primarily consumed by low income households.

I don't drink sugary drinks because they're poison, but it seems unfair, like the MASSIVE taxation on cigarettes. Taxing people who are addicted seems unethical.

I don't mind cig taxes specifically tbh.

Air quality tax, second hand smoke, butt littering, etc...

 

[BisexualMMA]

They oughta subsidize diet shit then.

 

[JSN]

It's completely disingenuous for the government to levy a higher tax on a product (high fructose corn syrup) when it's the government's fault, through corn subsidies, that the product has become so commonly used in our food and beverage products. Soda taxes punish the consumer for consuming something that the government itself is responsible for proliferating. Prior to the mid 70's natural sugar (sucrose) was used in most soda products. Now it's almost impossible to avoid HFCS completely, again because the government financially supports its production.

Doesn't really matter much to me as I rarely drink soda but I disagree with the principle.

they levied the tax on diet sodas too. I would have no problem on a small sin tax on empty calorie sodas, but it's silly to single out HFCS vs sucrose. Basically the same thing, bra.

 

[ralphc1]

Stores in the suburbs will sell a lot of soda.

 

[Bobby Boulders]

What a bunch of leftist nonsense.

Lol

The ban didn't take long.

You were my new favorite poster, too.

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

Lol - liberals can run a racket better than any mob. It's almost comical how brazen they can be.

 

[ralphc1]

I suspect there will be many new City Council members in Philly next term.

 

[Gorack]

they levied the tax on diet sodas too. I would have no problem on a small sin tax on empty calorie sodas, but it's silly to single out HFCS vs sucrose. Basically the same thing, bra.

The government doesn't subsidize sucrose production. When HFCS came into widespread use in the mid 70's chain restaurants like McDonalds started offering larger or super sized servings of their soft drinks because they became much cheaper to produce.

It's been years since I've read it but Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma" explains how this trend came to be in the United States as a result of corn subsidies.

 

[gspieler]

So something that is associated with diabetes, obesity, etc, and contributes to the massive burden on the American health care system is being taxed? Don't really care, tbh.

 

[Strange King]

Fucking dumb