Seattle Soda Tax Passes! Ummm... Hurray!

[josie13]

I have no problem with government taxing things that are undeniably harmful to consume:

- alcohol
- tobacco
- sugar
- fossil fuel (to burn in cars)

IMO we should tax all that stuff heavily. Gasoline, for example, should be taxed much more heavily than it is today, in order to get more people out of their cars and using public transport/carpooling.

[Taz22]

You've made many excellent points Rotse! Government is always seeking new and creative ways to relieve us of our money. No one should welcome a tax that leaves them with less in their pockets, with the implication that nanny Government knows best.

Granted, Seattle is moving down this slippery slope faster than many parts of the country. Portland is not far behind and Thurston county where I live, has it's own silliness, including a bag tax and pocket gophers.

Anyway, you're right, this is only the start of it, and maybe Government is putting out feelers to determine how this tax is received. If people choose to make a fuss and complain loudly, the upcoming cheeseburger tax may be put off indefinitely. I have a feeling that most people will say nothing and an onslaught of new, similar taxes will be in our future. Maybe now is a good time to stock up on Hecho En Mexico cokes.

[cmswazey]

Originally Posted by Luckystrike1

Yes, it is. And what scares me is that Portland will likely try to attempt the same damn thing, as it often thinks it needs it keep up with Big Sister. This is intrusion at its best. Even California - a state that likes to rape its people - hasn't pulled this stunt yet.

Originally Posted by josie13

I have no problem with government taxing things that are undeniably harmful to consume:

- alcohol
- tobacco
- sugar
- fossil fuel (to burn in cars)

IMO we should tax all that stuff heavily. Gasoline, for example, should be taxed much more heavily than it is today, in order to get more people out of their cars and using public transport/carpooling.

Gas already is taxed quite heavily, especially here and in CA.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by josie13

I have no problem with government taxing things that are undeniably harmful to consume:

- alcohol
- tobacco
- sugar
- fossil fuel (to burn in cars)

IMO we should tax all that stuff heavily. Gasoline, for example, should be taxed much more heavily than it is today, in order to get more people out of their cars and using public transport/carpooling.

Then they'd have to improve/increase transit service. How likely is that to happen? Buses running more frequently, more cross-town routes, etc.?

[flyingsaucermom]

Originally Posted by josie13

I have no problem with government taxing things that are undeniably harmful to consume:

- alcohol
- tobacco
- sugar
- fossil fuel (to burn in cars)

IMO we should tax all that stuff heavily. Gasoline, for example, should be taxed much more heavily than it is today, in order to get more people out of their cars and using public transport/carpooling or electric cars.

Hope you don't mind me adding on.

[josie13]

Originally Posted by cmswazey

Gas already is taxed quite heavily, especially here and in CA.

I mean we should tax gasoline at European levels. And then of course build the kind of transit systems that they have.

[josie13]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Then they'd have to improve/increase transit service. How likely is that to happen? Buses running more frequently, more cross-town routes, etc.?

Transit's getting better all the time. I love the light rail and cannot wait for all the new lines to be added, especially those to Bellevue (2023) and Redmond (2024). There are lots of cross-town bus routes. I never drive into Seattle, and so far the buses and light rail have gotten me everywhere i wanted to go.

[josie13]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

Hope you don't mind me adding on.

Electric cars are OK, but they still take up space on the roads. The more people get out of their cars and into mass transit, the easier it will be to get around.

I've lived in cities where people just don't drive into or around the city centers if they can possibly help it. The practical thing in London or Dublin is to take the bus, light rail, commuter train, or some other form of public transport to move into or around the city center.

We could have that, too. All we need to do is pay the taxes and build the infrastructure. Seattle's already taken baby steps in that direction.

Back to the sugar tax, though...nobody needs to be drinking sugar water. it's terrible for your health. The higher the taxes, the better, IMO. If it takes high taxes on every container to make people realize how bad that stuff is, so be it.

[cmswazey]

Trust me, ppl already do know about sugar. Taxes are about money, not info. I dislike this sort of thing. Planning to get my seatbelt buzzer deactivated. Yes, I know it's illegal to not wear it and yes, I wear it. But not interested in car companies telling me what to do. This ties in because I feel there is too much of this.

[pnwguy2]

By the way, most new cars today will run the seat belt buzzer for about 1 minute, but then turn it off. I don't recommend not wearing seat belts, but the car companies don't require you to wear seat belts. The State does. And there are still some that treat this infraction as a secondary offense.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_b..._United_States