Comments on: Seattle: beverage tax backers on sugar high

By: Ian

Ian — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 08:40:06 +0000

In reply to jimc5499. The restaurant would have to bypass where they source the bulk soda and if the tax only applied to retail stores. Then yes they can circumvent the tax in Seattle.

By: cecil

cecil — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 20:21:21 +0000

Robert, they taxed cigarettes from the beginning of time, but when it came down to having to spend money then the states didn’t want to have anything to do with that. Taxes are to line the pockets, not pay things…

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 23:42:26 +0000

If the problem is obesity, then they should make sure the obese pay directly for the extra public costs they incur. And allow insurers to charge the overweight or obese more (or deny coverage altogether).

But don’t tax sugar! I’m 5’10” and 150# (55 year old male). And I enjoy a sugary beverage from time to time. Why should I be punished because of other people’s choices?

By: Boblipton

Boblipton — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 20:16:20 +0000

In reply to wilbur. When it's your stuff they take. Bob

By: wilbur

wilbur — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 19:11:10 +0000

At what point does a tax became confiscatory? How high must it go?

By: marco73

marco73 — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 17:53:06 +0000

In reply to Eric. Sort of surprised that the legal eagles in Cook county didn't decide to set up sugar-soda checkpoints to keep illegal soda from entering the county. Works so well for guns, alcohol, pot, and cigarettes.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 15:56:19 +0000

Cook County Illinois just announced they are laying off over 300 employees and eliminating 1000 vacancies, including 77 from the sheriff’s department and 100 from the court system, because they repealed the soda tax and now have a budget shortfall. They projected $200M in revenue from that tax, and now that they aren’t going to get it, out of a $5Billion budget, the only place they could fire people was in law enforcement and the courts. Oh and drug counseling.

Since the purpose of the tax is to get people to use soda, then logically you would expect revenue to go down. So why pin your operating costs on it, knowing it will be a declining revenue (and especially knowing your projected revenue is a fantasy anyway because everyone is gong to bop across the city limits to boot leg soda).

By: cecil

cecil — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 15:30:43 +0000

Aren’t “fresh fruits” filled with sugar? Are they taxing fruit juices? Are you telling me that a bunch of politicians know the differences between frucose, sucrose and high frucose corn syrup? From a sugar perspective, what is the difference between a couple juice boxes and a similar volume of whatever soda you choose? Are they skipping the tax on diet soda? So there’s a drastic price difference between a coke and a diet coke? And are they certain that the chemicals used in the diet coke are better for the consumer than sugar?
So let me understand it… In seattle there is to be a $15 min wage and a sugar tax. Hmmm, I don’t see any way that could drive businesses outside the city limits reducing the tax base…

By: jimc5499

jimc5499 — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 14:21:28 +0000

So I wonder what would happen if a restaurant would charge for a cup and the soda was free?