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Philadelphia's soda tax already being felt


Auburnfan91

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Read more at: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Soda-companies-supermarkets-report-50-percent-losses-from-soda-tax.html

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5 minutes ago, Auburnfan91 said:

and are planning for layoffs.

Yep, we all knew it. Rich, greedy , BIG SODA bastages... making the little guy pay for mere pennies while they still are making quin-TRILLIONS off the backs of the poor. Horrible, horrible people ! 

They should tax MORE from BIG SODA, just to make 'em pay ! 

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“We’re down about 30 percent in Philadelphia,” explains Day. “They buy a three-liter in a ShopRite for $1.39. The tax is $1.53, but the mayor wants us to absorb it.”

Sources with Teamsters Local 830 say that layoffs are “imminent” and that some workers have seen their take-home pay drop by 50 to 75 percent because they’re moving less product

read more at: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2017/02/22/union-warns-layoffs-imminent-due-to-philadelphias-drink-tax/

Unions are feeling the effects also. Even a lot of union drivers pay are based on the amount of product they move. If they're moving less product then they're making less. The national media, which gave a lot of attention and fawned about the tax being passed, are now muted and aren't covering the soda tax effects since the results coming in so far have been negative.

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24 minutes ago, homersapien said:

If we regulate drugs?

colas.jpg

Not the proper function of govt to regulate sugar. I already do that myself. 

We've gone to war over stuff like this. 

Sugar Act of 1764

 

The irony of it all, that Philly would be on the front line for this sort of thing. :no:   

 

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2 hours ago, TexasTiger said:

Tax sugar and fructose to fund health care-- diabetes costs are skyrocketing.

Thanks Tex. I love a little beer and - lots of bottled (and tap) water. Never figured out the craze over a 32 oz. soda.  

Then again - look at the people drinking them. Anything wrong with a little "self responsibility".

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3 hours ago, TexasTiger said:

Tax sugar and fructose to fund health care-- diabetes costs are skyrocketing.

I think that would be a good idea but at the same time I'm not happy that this tax is resulting is a loss of jobs. There's always unintended consequences even if we try to go about it with good intentions.

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10 minutes ago, Auburnfan91 said:

I think that would be a good idea but at the same time I'm not happy that this tax is resulting is a loss of jobs. There's always unintended consequences even if we try to go about it with good intentions.

Cracking down on opioids will result in a loss of jobs.  

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1 hour ago, SaltyTiger said:

Thanks Tex. I love a little beer and - lots of bottled (and tap) water. Never figured out the craze over a 32 oz. soda.  

Then again - look at the people drinking them. Anything wrong with a little "self responsibility".

You can't rely on "self responsibility" without knowledge.

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8 minutes ago, homersapien said:

You can't rely on "self responsibility" without knowledge.

You mean that people are not smart enough to know that soda's contain sugar?   ....but the good news is that now those people have more money to spend on Big Macs and double fries which are much more healthy. 

 

 

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1 minute ago, AU64 said:

You mean that people are not smart enough to know that soda's contain sugar?   ....but the good news is that now those people have more money to spend on Big Macs and double fries which are much more healthy. 

 

 

Pretty much.  Just like people don't know about the problems with opioids....

Which was my point. 

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1 minute ago, homersapien said:

Pretty much.  Just like people don't know about the problems with opioids....

Which was my point. 

Good point there but not many of them are available across the counter as far as I know.  Don't problems with them usually start with careless doctors ...?  

As for the Philly situation....another "feel good" law that had unexpected (to the idiots who proposed it) consequences.   Why is anyone surprised.   Basic law of economic is that if you want to have "less of something" just tax it.....like the famous luxury yacht tax that was going to raise money from the rich and only succeeded in driving boat builders out of business. 

..http://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/07/business/falling-tax-would-lift-all-yachts.html    People who don't know history are condemned to repeat it. 

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1 hour ago, homersapien said:

Cracking down on opioids will result in a loss of jobs.  

If you goal is to generate revenue, then a soda tax doesn't look like a good idea.

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The 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax on sweetened and diet beverages is funding nearly 2,000 pre-K seats this year as well as several community schools. The city hopes it will bring in $92 million per year for the education programs and to in part fund renovated parks and recreation centers. 

To hit its annual target, the city needs to collect $7.6 million a month in tax revenue. The first collection was due Feb. 21 but collection information won’t be available until next month. Early projections from the city's quarterly manager's report predict only $2.3 million will come through in the first collection.

So you're willing to lose jobs while still not generating the money needed to fund things for education, parks, etc.....? 

It's cutting off your nose to spite your face. If we're going to go the route that's going to result in a loss of jobs, then it needs to at least be able to fulfill the goals it was put in place to achieve. Otherwise it's just an unnecessary burden on the taxpayers.

I think the people who passed this tax are in denial and are just deflecting blame. 

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57 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Good point there but not many of them are available across the counter as far as I know.  Don't problems with them usually start with careless doctors ...?  

You are making my case.

And the fallback strategy is black market heroin.

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1 minute ago, homersapien said:

I don't think this is a revenue generating tactic.  It's a public health tactic. Just like the taxes on tobacco.

 

It was promoted as a way to help fund pre-K, jobs, and other developmental projects. 

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19 minutes ago, Auburnfan91 said:

 

It was promoted as a way to help fund pre-K, jobs, and other developmental projects. 

So?

I'm sure tobacco and alcohol taxes are used for constructive purposes also.  But that's not the reason these products were targeted for taxes.

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8 minutes ago, homersapien said:

So?

I'm sure tobacco and alcohol taxes are used for constructive purposes also.  But that's not the reason these products were targeted for taxes.

Then you're wrong about it not being a revenue generating tactic. That's exactly what it is. 

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Mayor Kenney, who can count this as the first major political victory of his term, called it a start to "changing the narrative of poverty in our city."

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20160617_Philadelphia_City_Council_to_vote_on_soda_tax.html

 

Alcohol and tobacco are age restricted items and not everybody buys them. It's a lot easier to combat those health issues because they're already age restricted. Soda's and sugary drinks are going to be much harder to combat because it affects a lot more than just one or two items. You're basically going after all drinks in grocery stores besides water.

It's not just Coke, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper that this tax is affecting.  It's teas, coffees, flavored waters, sports drinks, and other products. 

 

Even Bernie Sanders was against Philadelphia's soda tax because it's going to hurt lower income people, the very people this tax was promoted as going to help:

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I applaud Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney for introducing a plan to provide universal preschool for all of his city’s 4-year olds. I strongly share the goal of ensuring that every family has access to high-quality, affordable preschool and childcare.

But I do not support Mayor Kenney’s plan to pay for this program with a regressive grocery tax that would disproportionately affect low-income and middle-class Americans.


Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2016/04/24/bernie-sanders-soda-tax-op-ed/#HTE02ApmKPGJq8wG.99

 

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4 minutes ago, Auburnfan91 said:

Then you're wrong about it not being a revenue generating tactic. That's exactly what it is. 

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20160617_Philadelphia_City_Council_to_vote_on_soda_tax.html

 

Alcohol and tobacco are age restricted items and not everybody buys them. It's a lot easier to combat those health issues because they're already age restricted. Soda's and sugary drinks are going to be much harder to combat because it affects a lot more than just one or two items. You're basically going after all drinks in grocery stores besides water.

It's not just Coke, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper that this tax is affecting.  It's teas, coffees, flavored waters, sports drinks, and other products. 

 

Even Bernie Sanders was against Philadelphia's soda tax because it's going to hurt lower income people, the very people this tax was promoted as going to help:

 

Then why sugar laden drinks?

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2 minutes ago, homersapien said:

Then why sugar laden drinks?

Because there's a lot of drinks that have sugar in them. It's meant to be a revenue generating tax. 

I buy Gatorade and Powerade's at the grocery store because my full-time job is outdoors and is labor intensive. I sweat a lot, especially during the summer months, so I need something besides just water to help keep me hydrated. I don't always have access to water because sometimes I'm working by myself in an area. I take Gatorades and Powerades with me to work and when I get on a job site, I put the drink in my pants pocket so I can have something to drink and won't have to wait for it while I'm sweating in the heat. I usually only drink one sports drink a day during the week, sometimes two if the work I'm doing requires me to sweat even more. I don't drink Gatorades or Powerades on the weekends since I'm not outside as much on the weekends. 

I'm lower income, this tax would affect me greatly if something like this was passed in Alabama. I'm all for promoting health and addressing obesity but taxing low income people is not the way to go about it.

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