Did the seattle soda tax pass?? (Bellevue, Renton: to rent, crime, how much)

[cmswazey]

Originally Posted by hurricane harry

I am more than a commoner.
I am a recipient.
I'm glad the city is taxing the crap out of its citizens so I can collect a good wage and a pension.
Keep it coming. I and hundreds of others thank you for your support.
And its even better now that the kids are involved in paying a soda tax.
Maybe we could tax their bicycles too.

While I sure don't want to be taxed out of everything I worked for (my folks gave me little support of the sort other kids in our neighborhood got so both my husband and I started with nothing) I certainly think others who need it should get help and shelter. I'd like to see more of that.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by bergun

I could be wrong, but I believe that more people's lives are destroyed by using heroin or meth than drinking a sugary soda twice a day.

So, what are you proposing to do about the obesity and diabetes epidemics, increasingly impacting large numbers of young people, who will be saddled with lifelong disabilities, costing taxpayers and healthcare consumers billions? More unbenign neglect? There is a clear link to sugary soda/beverage consumption.

In America, it is estimated that obesity is adding $190 billion annually to the price of healthcare. Diabetes accounts for a majority of healthcare costs, as 30% of overweight people have the disease while 85% of diabetics are overweight. Of the excessive costs, obese men accumulate an additional $1,152 a year in medical spending, while obese women account for an extra $3,615 per year. Likewise, childhood obesity alone costs $14.1 billion a year with average health expenses costing over $6,000 per obese child.

Obesity not only costs the individual, but also the employer. The epidemic is associated with lower productivity, costing employers an additional $506 per worker due to an increase in sick days and medical claims.

The Economic Cost Of An Obese Society | Investopedia

[mhays25]

It's funny to see people get hysterical over paying a tiny bit more for something...something they don't need and would generally be better without. If someone is drinking massive amounts of pop every day, maybe that extra $1.00 (oh noes!) is a type of very subtle "intervention."

I like that philosophy in taxation. We obviously need taxes, and why not let a portion of that be used to tax the stuff we don't want, and which end up costing public and private money in other ways? For example maybe a slight reduction in pop drinking will help keep medical insurance rates from rising as quickly while also saving public health money.

[cmswazey]

It's not that tiny. It's one and three fourths cents per oz, effectively doubling the cost of a two litre bottle. Not like they're charging a nickel or even a dime or quarter a jug.

And as far as it not being a necessity, well, most clothes we buy aren't necessities, perfume isn't, many car purchases aren't, toys, computers, restaurant meals, wine, books... so that's not the most impressive argument.

Heck, we could just live in those Hong King cages, one change of clothes to our name, rice and beans... because let's just tax the heck out of anything not necessary...

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by cmswazey

It's not that tiny. It's one and three fourths cents per oz, effectively doubling the cost of a two litre bottle. Not like they're charging a nickel or even a dime or quarter a jug.

And as far as it not being a necessity, well, most clothes we buy aren't necessities, perfume isn't, many car purchases aren't, toys, computers, restaurant meals, wine, books... so that's not the most impressive argument.

Heck, we could just live in those Hong King cages, one change of clothes to our name, rice and beans... because let's just tax the heck out of anything not necessary...

Perfume isn't linked to obesity and diabetes. The tax will bring the cost of sugary soda to roughly the cost of milk.

Personally, I'd be in favor of taxing sugary sodas less, while subsidizing milk more, to bring their costs in line. Right now, poor mothers are feeding their children sugary soda/beverages because it is almost half the cost of milk. WIC should be expanded to include children, not just to 5, but up to the average age of puberty (13?). We need single-payer school breakfast/lunch programs (with a nutritionist in every school) to insure that all students get well-rounded and healthy diets. All of this, of course, is anathema to "free marketers", which is why basically nothing is being done.

When I grew up in the 1950s, soda pop was a luxury - we were lucky if we got a bottle a week. I can remember going with my sister to the home of a friend of hers - I was SHOCKED that their mother was serving them Kool-Aid with lunch. They were even poorer than we were, and we were POOR (single mother running her own business) - we still had milk with practically every meal. That friend of my sister and her siblings were all obese. At school then, however, obese children were the rare exception (and subject to being teased), rather than pretty much the rule, as is the case now. Wake up, folks!

[cmswazey]

I'm not against a tax on it per se. It's just high.

[CrazyDonkey]

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, just pointing out that a market that encourages mothers to feed their children sugary sodas instead of milk is perverse. Taxing it less will still leave sugary soda considerably cheaper than milk. Cities are taxing the stuff because it is something they can do that will have an impact. They don't have the capability, on their own, to increase milk subsidies, not without taxing something else.

That's why I asked what people proposed DOING to address the obesity and diabetes epidemic, especially among children and young people. So far all I've heard is a big fat NOTHING.

[RotseCherut]

The politicians thank all of you who support the tax.. Yes, taxes are so great.. Hell, we should be taxed at 100% and entrust everything to the government.. Uncle Vladimir Agrees!



During the Cold War, people would flee the USA to get to the Soviet Union so they could avoid all the evil capitalism and be in a place where the government properly redistributes all the wealth and provides the utmost quality in social programs and infrastructure. My Russian relatives were even issued their own government funded potato sacks where they could wait on the bread and potato lines each day.. Sometimes they even had enough food for an entire family. Please do not be afraid.. All the food they received was taxed and would be properly redistributed throughout the Nation.

Also, what better inspiration to work hard with sickle and hammer then to work for the State! Everything must be for the state! Praise the Government! Praise the Politburo! Praise the Taxation!


The soda tax is the first step towards a complete Revolution and utmost authority of the Communist State



And, of course, Germany's famous (or shall I say infamous) Socialist Chancellor Adolf Hitler would have been a great supporter of not only the soda tax, but of making the soda companies be under full authority, control and regulation of the National Socialist government.

[CrazyDonkey]

Like I said, big fat NOTHING. Just more unbenign neglect, courtesy of Adam Smith (and Pepsico, et al).

[mhays25]

Originally Posted by cmswazey

It's not that tiny. It's one and three fourths cents per oz, effectively doubling the cost of a two litre bottle. Not like they're charging a nickel or even a dime or quarter a jug.

So another 50 cents for a quart? This is your argument?