Time For a Philly Coke Party (New Beverage Tax is Unfair)

[Orlong]

Starting Jan 1st the Philly beverage tax went into effect and people are outraged at how much more they have to pay for their soda, iced tea, Gatorade, fruit punch, and other drinks. The tax is 1.5 cents per ounce so the rice of a gallon of iced tea just went up by $1.92 which is more than the iced tea cost to begin with. that is an over 100% increase in price.

The most unfair part of the whole tax is that it also affects fountain drinks like you get at restaurants, and here is why its unfair. The tax is per ounce, so if you go to Mcdonalds and order a large soda (32 ounces I believe), you will be charged the tax on 32 ounces of soda (48 cents), but you will not be getting 32 ounces of soda because there is ice in the cup, unless they measure the soda in a measuring cup and then pour it into your cup and charge you the tax on the amount of soda you are getting.

If restaurants are charging tax on the capacity of the cup rather than the amount of beverage you are getting then youre paying too much tax and who gets the excess? The restaurant as profit? If so Im sure they love the tax.

Yes I know the tax originates at the distributor level, but stores and restaurants as we all knew they would, are passing the tax on to consumers rather than eat the increased cost of product to them, with the overwhelming amount of them itemizing the tax on the receipt so you can see how much youre getting gouged for.

I believe printing it on the receipt may actually get people pissed off enough to do something about it, especially since the proceeds of the tax are going to fund pre-k education which is nothing more than a front for socialized daycare as kids under 5 arent developed enough to learn anything more than shapes and colors and at age 5 they start kindergarten. Pre-k is just a way for welfare moms to get their kids out of the house all day so they can watch Maury and their soaps in quiet every day, without having to pay for daycare or be a mom. If parents want a babysitter, or they want their kids to go to preschool, then they can pay for it their damn self like everyone else did for the last 100 years. Starting school at age 5 in Kindergarten has worked for the last century and will work just fine now

Guess Ill never visit Philly again, which sucks because Johns roast pork sandwiches and Jims cheesesteaks are just so damn good.

http://6abc.com/news/new-philly-beve...shock/1682844/

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- We knew it was coming, but Philadelphia's new beverage tax is still giving some shoppers sticker shock.

The tax took effect on Sunday at the distribution level, and, as expected, some companies are passing the added cost on to customers.

Shoppers on Monday were checking receipts to gauge the impact of the new beverage tax.

Different retailers have different policies.

Acme is adding the full cost of the tax - 1.5 cents per ounce - to the retail price. So, a 20 ounce soda that was $1.88 on Saturday is now up 30 cents to $2.18.

ShopRite says in the interest of transparency it wants customers to understand why prices are significantly up, and is taking a different approach. The primary shelf tags show the untaxed price. But below them in yellow is the full tax that will be added at the register and printed as a separate line item.

Chuck Andrews picked up a $1.77 gallon jug of tea, got home and looked at his receipt.

"When I read the receipt I'm like, 'Wait a minute. I paid more in tax than I did for the product,'" Andrews said.

The tax on the $1.77 gallon of tea was $1.92 cents

LOL over 8 bucks for a 12 pack of DIET (no sugar) Iced Tea

[ovm33]

You're not an adult.

Big Brother needs to look out for you and make decisions in your best interest.

[Deleted]

Good, Maybe people will drink things not made of tar and corn syrup and then clog up hospitals.

[Aggrophobic]

Good, now go drink something else.
Americans are fat enough as it is.

[Orlong]

Additionally this will really hurt small business as larger stores such as Walmart may be able to absorb some of the tax and not raise prices by the whole amount so they can appear cheaper, small family owned restaurants and corner stores will have to pass on the entire amount, so many landmark and yummy restaurants may be forced to close because people wont pay $4 for a soda at a place like Dalessandro's Steaks, they will go to Arbys where they be able to absorb 25% of the tax and so offer cheaper drinks

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Good, Maybe people will drink things not made of tar and corn syrup and then clog up hospitals.

But this covers non sugar drinks too such as DIET sodas, teas, punch etc... as well as beneficial drinks like Gatorade. And regardless, why is it any of your business what people drink

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You're not an adult.

Big Brother needs to look out for you and make decisions in your best interest.

I also love how Democrats (this tax was passed by a liberal city council and socialist mayor) are always against anything that they claim disadvantages the poor (preventing them from spending welfare money on luxuries/lottery/smokes/alcohol),paying income tax, voter ID, etc... yet this tax greatly affects the poor more than the middle class and rich since soda, tea, and juice is generally cheaper than water, so they will pay more of their limited funds to get drinks. Middle class and rich people will just drive to bucks county or across the George Washington bridge to Jersey and stock up tax free. Perhaps a black market for soda will pop up

[Deleted]

But this covers non sugar drinks too such as DIET sodas, teas, punch etc... as well as beneficial drinks like Gatorade. And regardless, why is it any of your business what people drink

Considering what Americans consider Tea and punch? Good. Stop drinking calories in a cup or save them as a treat. Your heart will thank you.

[Nathreim]

That is ridiculous. Crack is cheaper than diet tea.

[TZucchini]

These taxes do tend to affect the poor more than anyone else. And that's really unfortunate. Because I generally support government initiatives to advance a healthy society.

Taxing cigarettes into oblivion worked. We do have some evidence that suggests soda taxes may work as well.

...Mexico’s Sugar-Sweetened Beverage tax may substantially decrease morbidity and mortality from diabetes and CVD while reducing healthcare costs.

[lockedout]

While I think this is silly, I only drink water, nothing else.

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These taxes do tend to affect the poor more than anyone else.

I also agree with this statement.

[Deleted]

Taxing sugary shit is a good idea in the US due to the obesity epidemic..

Plastic bags
Now SODA!!!!!!!

OMG the sky is falling.

[Hiricine]

Best way around this--- sell small cups with free refills

[Dadwen]

Good, Maybe people will drink things not made of tar and corn syrup and then clog up hospitals.

How much Corn Syrup and Tar does diet tea have?

[Flarelaine]

We've had a sugar tax and a salt tax for years. As I only buy stuff affected by either for our weekly game night, I'll manage.

[Deleted]

How much Corn Syrup and Tar does diet tea have?

In America, probably 50% at least on both.

[ItachiZaku]

Gotta die of something.

[Deleted]

Additionally this will really hurt small business as larger stores such as Walmart may be able to absorb some of the tax and not raise prices by the whole amount so they can appear cheaper, small family owned restaurants and corner stores will have to pass on the entire amount, so many landmark and yummy restaurants may be forced to close because people wont pay $4 for a soda at a place like Dalessandro's Steaks, they will go to Arbys where they be able to absorb 25% of the tax and so offer cheaper drinks

The profits on fountain soda are insane % wise, this will not affect anything and certainly not be closing bussinesses. Jeez get a clue.

But this covers non sugar drinks too such as DIET sodas, teas, punch etc... as well as beneficial drinks like Gatorade. And regardless, why is it any of your business what people drink

Benificial drinks like gatorade, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Diet soda? Are you completely clueless on this subject? It seems you are and just want to be outraged, because most of your points are either inconsequential or completely meaningless. You can´t possibly be older than 12, anything older would be an utter disgrace to the school system in your country.

I also love how Democrats (this tax was passed by a liberal city council and socialist mayor) are always against anything that they claim disadvantages the poor (preventing them from spending welfare money on luxuries/lottery/smokes/alcohol),paying income tax, voter ID, etc... yet this tax greatly affects the poor more than the middle class and rich since soda, tea, and juice is generally cheaper than water, so they will pay more of their limited funds to get drinks. Middle class and rich people will just drive to bucks county or across the George Washington bridge to Jersey and stock up tax free. Perhaps a black market for soda will pop up

lol, toddler level understanding of the issue.

infracted - minor flaming

[Logwyn]

Considering what Americans consider Tea and punch? Good. Stop drinking calories in a cup or save them as a treat. Your heart will thank you.

Part of the trouble and you kinda point it out in the Nation bashing is that tea can be made without sugar. So can coffee. Even Kool-aid can be made without sugar as well. So in order to be a proper tax on things bad for you you need to tax sugar itself. You should also tax salt if its all in the name of "keeping people healthy"

Are packets of non sweeten cool aid taxed as well as bags of tea and ground coffee?

The ultimate problem is that the tax isn't well thought out and is just a knee jerk reaction to something. Also its all about controlling the behavior of the population. I would bet that the coffee lobby had something to do with it. I wonder if they are taxing Starbucks.

[Belize]

Best way around this--- sell small cups with free refills

Most places have free refills anyways... so... eh.

[Dadwen]

In America, probably 50% at least on both.

looking online this is what I found
Ingredients
Green tea (green tea extract from tea leaves), citric acid, natural flavor, ascorbic acid (to protect flavor), sucralose, acesulfame potassium.

[darkwarrior42]

So when will we also be getting taxes on foods high in fat? How about cake mixes and ingredients to make other such confections?

The core idea here is "Food that is unhealthy should be taxed to discourage people from consuming it." If we're ok with that idea, logically it should be applied across the board, right?