Should we have a soda tax in Virginia? (Richmond, Newport News: houses, purchase)

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by illeagle

thank you for proving my point...... and trying to define what a "food item" is like the DC government has.

I'm not sure how you think this proved your point. Our points are very different.

You are concerned about the government telling people what they should or should not eat.

That is completely different from my point. I'm strictly interested in the revenue aspect of this, and in things being properly classified. If people want to continue buying soda, it's fine by me--but you should have to pay sales tax on it just like you already do on any other item that doesn't have nutritional value.

Why has soda been allowed to skate by all these years? It does not have nutritional value, so it should be taxed just like all the other non-nutritional items you buy at a grocery store.

I have no desire to stop people from buying it--I figure that's your business. I just think it's ok to pay taxes on it.

[illeagle]

lol obviously you missed the point of my rhetoric

[normie]

Originally Posted by oneasterisk

I don't think we need another tax, we just need a gov't able to operate within an honest budget.

This tends to be my reaction, too. Although there's another part of me that thinks "hmmmm, we do have local breweries and wineries that might benefit from all the media attention..." (Remember kiddies, if you're over the age of 18, cola=bad, red wine=healthy!)

So... I guess I'd like to see it come up for a vote, become a local controversy, and then fall through the cracks before being passed.

[car54]

Originally Posted by normie

This May, the DC Council approved a soda tax. This means the city’s 6% sales tax will be applied to energy drinks, sports drinks, and sodas. (Water, fruit juices, milk, coffee, and tea are exempt from the tax.) The "soda tax" money will be used for DC’s school health programs.

So, what do you think? Should we have a soda tax in Virginia? If so, where should the money raised be spent?

Don't we already have a soda tax? I believe the normal 4.5% VA sales tax has always been charged on soda, Slurpees, and everything else, except some medications.

So, DC did not previously charge sales tax on soda, but now they will? Big deal!

[RVA-Jsn20]

Originally Posted by car54

Don't we already have a soda tax? I believe the normal 4.5% VA sales tax has always been charged on soda, Slurpees, and everything else, except some medications.

So, DC did not previously charge sales tax on soda, but now they will? Big deal!

No, there already was a sales tax, and now there's more of a sales tax. (still though, big deal!)

[Alicia Bradley]

No. Although I'd love to be a member of the legal team who would get to define 'soda' (or 'pop,' in my native dialect). Even going with 'a carbonated beverage that contains a certain percentage of calories' would be problematic. What about sparkling apple cider (which would contain some vitamin C but is also carbonated and has a high percentage of sugars), for instance? What about freshly squeezed OJ? What about nutritionally enhanced 'sodas'?

I'm in favor of a special tax on cigarettes and alcohol because there's a demonstrable nexus between someone's consumption of them and the rights of others in that person's vicinity being compromised.

Also, I very much enjoy drinking soda/pop on occasion - especially cane syrup-sweetened, peculiarly-flavored 'gourmet' delights, as well as the occasional Dr. P, etc. - and I'm so small that I'm constantly at risk of being knocked down by the stale wind being forced onto the Metro platform by an oncoming train during my daily commutes. Should I be punished because some other random people can't control their consumption? And what if said people's gustatory vice of choice happens to be, say, potato chips, and they drink only diet 'soda' anyway?

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by car54

Don't we already have a soda tax? I believe the normal 4.5% VA sales tax has always been charged on soda, Slurpees, and everything else, except some medications.

If that's the case, then that's a game changer for me. I thought sodas weren't taxed because they were listed with the food items. But, I could be wrong about that.

So, to re-write my opinion: If they aren't already taxed, then I'm ok with soda being taxed the same as other non-food items. However, if they are already being taxed I'm not in favor of an additional tax.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Alicia Bradley

No. Although I'd love to be a member of the legal team who would get to define 'soda' (or 'pop,' in my native dialect). Even going with 'a carbonated beverage that contains a certain percentage of calories' would be problematic. What about sparkling apple cider (which would contain some vitamin C but is also carbonated and has a high percentage of sugars), for instance? What about freshly squeezed OJ? What about nutritionally enhanced 'sodas'?

Hee hee, I totally agree--that would be an interesting and fun challenge. But since a bunch of states have already passed soda taxes, we'd probably just borrow from one of them.

[normie]

Just to explore the other question in the OP....

If we DID have a soda tax, what should the revenue be spent on?

[scimitar12]

Sure, why not. Let's have yet another tax.