Proposed Soda Tax
Irene Evans
Prof: John Jackson
English 110. 31411
September 22, 2011
The Proposed Soda Tax: The Poor and Middle Class Pay the Price
Why must the poor and middle class suffer whenever money is needed to fund some programs or fix the deficit? People are stripped to the bone already, what with the Enron scandal and Bernie Madoff making off with millions of citizens savings. Now the poor and middle class people of this great nation are being called upon once again, to give more of the nothing that they already don’t have for a Soda Tax. A tax that health officials and their government counterparts would hope to put an end to high health care cost and obesity in children. There seems to be no limit to the control the government already has over its citizens or is this smoke screen to exert more control over our lives for the things that we as a people enjoy. Surely the government and the powers that be can come up with some other strategy to help with the fiscal crisis than a Soda Tax. “An 18 percent sales tax on soft drinks and other sugary beverages to help raise $400 million a year to plug a hole in the state budget… “(Krisof). Are there no other means of revenue beside the middle class and the poor? What about the rich and wealthy? When do they come out of their pocket? Only for the special interest groups who lobby their desires. Families are struggling every day to make ends meet. The proposed tax has “cities and counties desperate to find money…" (Leonhardt) to help fund services like education, healthcare, senior programs, daycare centers and recreational facilities. Lest we forget the troubles of the past two years, bailouts of banks and companies that have help raise our debt ceiling to numbers most of us can’t even pronounce. This soda tax would surely hurt “the hard working, low and middle income families” (Leonhardt). It’s just a get it fixed quick scheme that health officials and politicians need to finance their proposed
Prof: John Jackson
English 110. 31411
September 22, 2011
The Proposed Soda Tax: The Poor and Middle Class Pay the Price
Why must the poor and middle class suffer whenever money is needed to fund some programs or fix the deficit? People are stripped to the bone already, what with the Enron scandal and Bernie Madoff making off with millions of citizens savings. Now the poor and middle class people of this great nation are being called upon once again, to give more of the nothing that they already don’t have for a Soda Tax. A tax that health officials and their government counterparts would hope to put an end to high health care cost and obesity in children. There seems to be no limit to the control the government already has over its citizens or is this smoke screen to exert more control over our lives for the things that we as a people enjoy. Surely the government and the powers that be can come up with some other strategy to help with the fiscal crisis than a Soda Tax. “An 18 percent sales tax on soft drinks and other sugary beverages to help raise $400 million a year to plug a hole in the state budget… “(Krisof). Are there no other means of revenue beside the middle class and the poor? What about the rich and wealthy? When do they come out of their pocket? Only for the special interest groups who lobby their desires. Families are struggling every day to make ends meet. The proposed tax has “cities and counties desperate to find money…" (Leonhardt) to help fund services like education, healthcare, senior programs, daycare centers and recreational facilities. Lest we forget the troubles of the past two years, bailouts of banks and companies that have help raise our debt ceiling to numbers most of us can’t even pronounce. This soda tax would surely hurt “the hard working, low and middle income families” (Leonhardt). It’s just a get it fixed quick scheme that health officials and politicians need to finance their proposed
Cited: Brownstein, Joseph;” Public Health Leaders Propose Soda Tax” ABC News/Health (2009). Krisof, Nicholas D. “Taxing Sugary Drinks Will Reduce Obesity” The New York Times (2010). Leonhardt, David; “The Battle Over Taxing Soda” The New York Times (2010). Saletan, William; “ Sweet Surrender: Taxing Soda To Make You Stop Drinking It” Gale Opposing View Points In Contrast” (2010) Stolberg, Sheryl Gay. “Childhood Obesity Battle Taken Up By First Lady” The New York Times (2010).