isn't it time for a tax on sodas, bottled water drinks and sports drinks?

[grasswire]

How many billions of dollars would a 4 cent tax on those three catagories raise?

How many billions of soda cups, bottles and cans are used monthly in America? How many billion bottles of water and flavored waters? How many billion bottles of gatorade?

How many billions of dollars are raised by taxes on cigs and booze?

Why not tax these other beverages? They aren't essential or nutritious.

Why not?????????

[grasswire]

1. p.s. I put this in the GDP because I'd like Obama to take leadership...

...on the issue.

It's a cheap and quick way to raise huge money.

Yes, I know that it disproportionately affects those of lower income. But so does the tax on beer.

[BklnDem75]

13. Wasn't the general consensus here that it was too regressive?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5693105

[Autumn]

2. isn't it time for a tax on corporations and the wealthy?

Whether they are essential or nutritious is not a reason to raise taxes on them.

[grasswire]

3. sure, that too

of course

but there is more entrenched and deep-pocketed opposition to that than I believe there would be to a soda tax

besides, taxing HFCS beverages might have some slight benefits regarding the obesity epidemic in America

[Mojambo]

6. Not all sodas and energy drinks contain HFCS. n/t

[StarsInHerHair]

18. why do you hate the middle class & poor? You KNOW the wealthy drink

champagne & imported bottled water, they probably wouldn't pay any taxes under this idea

[ZombieHorde]

4. "Why not?????????"

Because the poor are already hurting. How much more do you want the poor to sacrifice?

Ending our wars and raising taxes on the wealthy will increase revenue as well, but won't be so restricting for the poor.

[Blue Owl]

5. How about a DISPOSABLE PLASTIC TAX

On both the petroleum-based-product manufacturers AND consumers.

[polichick]

8. Great idea - but the oil companies won't let it happen.

[woolldog]

7. Get lost

I enjoy my sodas, juices, and flavored waters and I guarantee I'm healthier than you.

[grasswire]

16. you could still enjoy them

Can't spare 12 cents a day from three beverages, for your country?

Hmm.

[slackmaster]

9. I'm opposed to making government dependent on unhealthful practices for revenue

I see a conflict of interest in having government, which is supposed to promote the general welfare, rely on sales of harmful substances for money.

[damntexdem]

10. There should be a tax on the containers to cover the cost of recovery and recycling.

There should be a tax on non-diet drinks to cover some of the health costs to the public of obesity.

[11 Bravo]

11. And shouldn't we also add a targeted tax to three things that YOU enjoy?

[grasswire]

15. I'd pay a tax on coffee

And I'd pay a tax on bottled water when I buy it. And I'd pay a tax on DVDs. And I already pay a tax on cable service and telephone.

If I drank soda I'd gladly pay a tax on that.

I'm certainly not advocating that the rich and corporations should be undertaxed.

Do it all!

[Ter]

24. Cable and telephone service should not be taxed

We should also eliminate the property tax, at least on houses worth less than $500,000.

[ChrisBorg]

28. How would you pay for schools without property taxes?

[Ter]

29. How did we do it before?

The same way. Property taxes are so unconstitutional it's scary.

[Ikonoklast]

12. Regressive tax on consumers? Fuck that noise.

Tax the wealthy, end the problem.

[Igel]

14. Would it just be a normal federal sales tax?

Or an excise tax because regulation of their contents is placed by enumeration of their contents under a specific federal agency?

I think they'd need enabling legislation for a federal sales tax, and then it would be subject to proofing in the federal courts. I suspect that it would be unconstitutional, except to the extent the entire constitution is plausibly voided by the "necessary and proper" clause.

Moreover, as soon as it's 4% on the things you don't like, you'll quite see it rise to 6%, 8%, 10% on all kinds of things.

[StarsInHerHair]

17. no its time for a tax on financial service transactions especially when money

being moved is $1 million & above.

[Rincewind]

19. I want a tax

on people who want to tax things they don't like. Should balance the budget in less that a week.

[nemo137]

20. Why not eliminate the subsidies that make it cheap to produce corn syrup?

It's fucking silly to make corn syrup the cheap option to sweeten things and then tax products made with it.

[seabeckind]

21. Didn't work in WA state

Guys selling the stuff took exception to raising the price. Afraid it'd hurt bidness.

Soda taxes eliminated; Privatized booze sales failing

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Soda-taxes-eliminated-Privatized-booze-sales-791185.php

[krawhitham]

22. Soda is taxed in Ohio

[Ter]

23. Enough with talks of tax increases!

This is why we lose elections. Tax the rich, this hurts the little guy. You want to pay more? Make a donation to the IRS then.

[Iggo]

25. It's time for a tax on really really rich people.

[Fuddnik]

26. They tried that in Ohio, about 15 years ago.

A penny per bottle or can.

You'd have thought it was the end of the world. The bottlers and distributors funded a major campaign to stop it.

[Hippo_Tron]

27. As a side note, we should use glass bottles rather than the plastic we use for soda/water

1) It tastes better

2) It's better for the environment

3) Plastic comes from oil and we certainly need to reduce our oil consumption

People need to get over their phobia of glass breaking and cutting them. If it cuts you put a freakin bandage on for god's sake. It's not the end of the world.

[davidpdx]

30. HT, I totally agree with you about it tasting better

There is hardly anywhere in the US you can buy a Coke or Pepsi in a glass bottle. Here in Korea, they still sell them in the restaurants and some stores. It reminds me of when I was a teenager. Of course back then I didn't consume Coke like it was water.

I'm against the idea of a soda tax. If you start taxing junk food, then where does it end? Coffee is bad for you, you could easily argue for taxing that (I bet the coffee drinkers would be pissed). How about donuts? Better think twice before going to Dunkin Donuts. How about red meat? We could tax that too? Most yogurt has sugar (except for maybe the all natural stuff). Let's tax yogurt as well.

I could keep going, but it would be severe overkill....

I've got a better idea, since I buy so much Coke, I should get stock options in Coke-cola.