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Philadelphia passes soda tax

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Batman, Jun 16, 2016.

  1. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    Philadelphia becomes the first major city in the country to pass a tax on sugary drinks -- 1.5 cents per ounce. City officials say it'll raise $91 million to expand pre-K programs, and improve schools, parks and recreation and libraries. More than likely, it'll create a network of bootleggers hauling 12-packs of Coke across the Ben Franklin Bridge and utter shock when the $91 million estimate comes in well short of that mark in a couple of years.

    Soda tax passes, Philadelphia becomes first big city in nation to enact one
     
  2. I Should Coco

    I Should Coco Well-Known Member

    Grocery stores in New Jersey are the real winners here.
     
  3. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    Camden's gonna boom!
     
    dixiehack likes this.
  4. wicked

    wicked Well-Known Member

    If I want a drink at McDonald's or a real restaurant, I'm not making an effort to cross the county or state line to save 40 cents.

    Like all of these things, there will be people who go out of their way to avoid paying the tax at first, and then people will just forget about it and be ponying up the dough.
     
    cranberry and bigpern23 like this.
  5. SpeedTchr

    SpeedTchr Well-Known Member

    Jamba Juice is gonna be $12 a cup.
     
  6. dixiehack

    dixiehack Well-Known Member

    Wonder if many Philly residents already go to N.J. to escape Pennsylvania's draconian liquor laws? Could be as simple as adding Cokes to the weekly beer run.
     
  7. wicked

    wicked Well-Known Member

    This is not much different (OK, the money is) from a deposit in the states that have the bottle bill. You don't see people from Mass. driving up to the first border town in N.H. and raiding the shelves of soda.
     
  8. SpeedTchr

    SpeedTchr Well-Known Member

  9. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    Yeah, more than likely this is just going to become another tax on top of a mountain of taxes in a city that's already got a fairly high cost of living. Even when the cost of a 12-pack of Coke spikes to $8 in January, and restaurants stop giving free refills, it'll just get folded into the fabric of the town's culture.
    Plus, it's for the children!
    Until five years from now, when the children need more money and that 1.5-cent tax becomes 5 cents. And then 10. And so on. It's for the kids, man!
     
    exmediahack likes this.
  10. Inky_Wretch

    Inky_Wretch Well-Known Member

    This could never pass in the South due to the powerful Sweet Tea lobby.
     
  11. MisterCreosote

    MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

    That's OK. I'm sure only billionaires drink sugary soda. They can afford it.
     
  12. Twirling Time

    Twirling Time Well-Known Member

    Arkansas has had a soda pop tax since 1993.
     
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