What's the verdict on the sugar tax? (property taxes, property)

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

Government should NOT be in the business of Social Engineering like this. I don't drink soda, fruit juices, or any other sweetened beverage beyond hot tea with a teaspoon of sugar on occasion. This will not change habits of people. They will buy outside the city, or just pay the premium. It is just a stupid as Bloomberg's law in NYC about large soft drinks.

It is NOT reducing consumption.

If the tax is not reducing consumption, that means soda was priced too low. Isn't that what economic their tells us? They should raise the tax even more if people are willing and happy to pay it.

As to your other argument about government and social engineering, there's an argument that government shouldn't tax things, and should just tax people and corporations directly to get the money they need to operate. Let's start by eliminating toll roads and gas taxes, and removing sales taxes. If government wants more money, get it from income taxes.

[Pennsport]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

I am a conservative, and donate significantly to charities by giving my TIME, and money. I know others that do the same. We also pay a LOT in taxes on every level. Love your generalizations. They are all WRONG of course.

Government should NOT be in the business of Social Engineering like this. I don't drink soda, fruit juices, or any other sweetened beverage beyond hot tea with a teaspoon of sugar on occasion. This will not change habits of people. They will buy outside the city, or just pay the premium. It is just a stupid as Bloomberg's law in NYC about large soft drinks.

It is NOT reducing consumption.

Well then we'd better raise the taxes until it does reduce consumption or else our health system is gonna crash and burn in a decade or so.

[AJNEOA]

Originally Posted by ElijahAstin

I think taxing things that people should be consuming less of anyway is fine and dandy, particularly in a cash-strapped city like Philadelphia. I’m not operating under the delusion that altruism and concern for peoples’ health and well-being is the primary motivator, but on the other hand, so what?

This sums up my feelings on the topic. I just hope the money's not being stolen by our worthless city "leaders" or the departments they manage.

[Pennsport]

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

This sums up my feelings on the topic. I just hope the money's not being stolen by our worthless city "leaders" or the departments they manage.

Oh you can guarantee at least some of the funds are being misappropriated by our thieving incompetent "leaders." If it's any consolation though, they're robbing every channel of income they possibly can, so it's not unique to the sugar tax.

[HappyRider]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

You got this mixed up. The goal is to get residents to consume less sugar and for those who are consuming get them to pay for social services.

The fact of the matter is if you achieve the goal the program purports to want, there will be no money for the social services you started the program for, get it?

[HappyRider]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

If the tax is not reducing consumption, that means soda was priced too low. Isn't that what economic their tells us? They should raise the tax even more if people are willing and happy to pay it.

Nobody knows that. They dare not release the sales data becuase you'll then know how much sales tax you lost. The simple fact is if the program works as intended, the city loses money.

[HappyRider]

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

This sums up my feelings on the topic. I just hope the money's not being stolen by our worthless city "leaders" or the departments they manage.

Once the government, any government, has collected the money, you have no control how it's spent. I don;t care what the original purpose was. Some are old enough to remember the tobacco settlement fund. It was collected to pay for health side effects of smoking. It was used for anything and everything that came down the pike, inlcuding filling pot holes, paying toll workers and state pensions.

[FKD19124]

The problem with this tax is that it will not solve any money woes the city is experiencing. All one has to do is look 10+ years ago when they city implemented a sales tax, liquor tax, cigarette tax and now a sugar tax, I predict ten years from now, the city will still be crying poor mouth and look for something else to tax.

[Pennsport]

Originally Posted by FKD19124

The problem with this tax is that it will not solve any money woes the city is experiencing. All one has to do is look 10+ years ago when they city implemented a sales tax, liquor tax, cigarette tax and now a sugar tax, I predict ten years from now, the city will still be crying poor mouth and look for something else to tax.

Well it certainly can't hurt, right? Even if the city never actually sees a dollar from the taxes, it is sugar we're talking about here. It has zero positive going for it and could potentially be a big culprit in collapsing the health system. The tobacco taxes of the 80s and 90s definitely prompted a cut-back on teen smoking, which has sustained to this day. I'm not exactly sure where those dollars are going, but I do know every teen that doesn't smoke helps us save a TON of money in healthcare.

[FKD19124]

the cigarette tax NEVER stopped smoking.
so lets tax gasoline next and make people take PT???
and then after that what can we tax??


the problem is, the democrats in power think that taxing everyone and everything is the only way
to fix money problems. How about getting rid of tax abatement for these new high rises?

Originally Posted by Pennsport

Well it certainly can't hurt, right? Even if the city never actually sees a dollar from the taxes, it is sugar we're talking about here. It has zero positive going for it and could potentially be a big culprit in collapsing the health system. The tobacco taxes of the 80s and 90s definitely prompted a cut-back on teen smoking, which has sustained to this day. I'm not exactly sure where those dollars are going, but I do know every teen that doesn't smoke helps us save a TON of money in healthcare.