Groups Start Ad In Support of Sugar Tax
The Alliance for a Healthier New York today launched an ad campaign “Just a Few Pennies” to build support for Gov. David Paterson’s proposal to add a tax on sugary beverages. The tax would equate to about one penny per ounce of soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages
The group says the tax—which is opposed by beverage manufacturers, including the Westchester County-based Pepsi—will help reverse the state’s obesity problems and bring in $450 million to the state’s coffers to pay for health care.
A Siena College poll today found that voters were opposed 59 percent to 38 percent to the obesity tax.
But state Health Commissioner Richard Daines knocked the poll’s questioning, saying the poll simply asked if people supported the tax without saying that the revenue would support health care.
“Without context, poll questions lack significance,” Daines said, saying a Quinnipiac University poll last week that showed 76 percent of New York City residents support the tax to balance the city’s budget.
“Most people instinctively oppose raising taxes or imposing new taxes. However, when people were asked whether they favored a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages – such as soda and sports drinks – and using the money to balance the budget or prevent health care cuts, three-quarters of the respondents favored the tax.”
Here’s the ad:
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BLah Blah Blah – they say the tax will go to support health care but in reality it will just go into the big black hole that is the NY State budget.
STOP telling me I have to pay more to eat drink, smoke what I want. What is this the UCCP? I am so sick of the food, drug, speach etc., police that I want to throw up.
What ever happend tot he land of the free? Please leave me alone.
And I’m not even mentioning what a blow to business this tax is. Soon there will be nobody left in NY to pay any taxes what-so-ever
Soooo….let’s add a tax to a natural substance to encourage people to consume man made products that may be more harmful in the long term. Wonderful. And for those of us that are allergic to the artificial sweetners? If we still want a soda are we going to get a “medical waiver” for the extra charge? Um…no.
Every now and again when the dollars run out near the end of a pay period, I have to bring home some Big Macs and fries and truly enjoy paying sales tax on the family “dinner”
Tax on sugary drinks?? Sounds like what they tried to do with Tea…it will fail. Obesity tax??? HELLO???? Kids and a lot of adults sit around playing video games or watching the boob tube!!! Technology is where the fat comes from….less labor and more idle time piling on the pounds. Don’t tell me how or what to put in my system or use obesity to cover up out of control government spending. The government PONZI scheme is collapsing and they are grabbing at straws and this is one of them.
The more ways you find to give the government money, the more ways they find to spend it, and it’s NEVER used to balance a budget, ESPECIALLY in NY State.
First of all not everyone who drinks soda is obese or overweignt, so why penalize everyone with a soda tax or as it was called before a “fat tax.” Secondly, putting a tax on soda IS NOT going to do anything thing to reduce childhood obesity. Gov. Patterson is only using this as a convenient tool or an excuse to fill NY State’s empty coffers. And last of and not least, LACK OF EXERCISE and LACK OF PARENTAL CONTROL are the TWO main factors as to why todays children are over weight. Instead of imposing another tax on all of “OVERTAXED” NY citizens, make children get outside and play and start exericising your rights as a parent and just say “NO” to sugary drinks. If your truly concerned about childhood obesity, start making you children drink milk or water at mealtimes and save the soda for special occasions and parties. And personally speaking, I’m sick and tired of picking up the tab for other people’s kids. New Yorkers DO NOT need another TAX !