More Soda Tax Idiocy: This Time, It's Seattle
by meep
Look, Cook County is not the only place that has thought of a soda tax. They just had an awful operational aspect… on top of it being higher than booze taxes. And really stupid explanations.
Well, guess who hasn’t learned from others’ mistakes?
SEATTLE: WE DIDN’T THINK HIGHER TAXES WOULD END UP AS HIGHER PRICES
Taxes and profit margins: how do they work?
Promoting health at a hefty price: Seattle’s soda tax starts Jan. 1 (Story by
DBeekman</a>) <a href="https://t.co/NClYmO7AFZ">https://t.co/NClYmO7AFZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/XJvaRuwwQ5">pic.twitter.com/XJvaRuwwQ5</a></p>— The Seattle Times (
seattletimes) December 31, 2017
Okay, 1.75 cents per ounce.
What was the Cook County Soda Tax?
1 cent per ounce.
"The tax is collected on the final distribution of sweetened beverages by a distributor. The tax is not collected by the retailer nor is the tax burden intended to fall onto the consumer."
— Joseph Bishop-Henchman (@jbhenchman) January 5, 2018
—Seattle's response to complaints about the sudden increase in prices for sugary drinks
So, you were going to impose a tax even bigger than the one in Cook County, Illinois, and you thought that prices wouldn’t move?
Is that the explanation you’re gonna go with?
WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG POST FOR AN OFFICIAL MESSAGE
This is what I’m seeing on the Seattle govt page on the soda tax:
SWEETENED BEVERAGE TAX
Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, the City of Seattle will impose a sweetened beverage tax. View Ordinance 125324.The sweetened beverage tax is a tax on the distribution of sweetened beverages in the city of Seattle. The tax is collected on the final distribution of sweetened beverages by a distributor. The tax is not collected by the retailer nor is the tax burden intended to fall onto the consumer. The intent of the sweetened beverage tax is to tax the distributions of sweetened beverages into Seattle for retail sale in Seattle.
For more information, please review:
Sweetened beverage tax frequently asked questions
Seattle business tax rule 5-953 (includes illustrative examples for distributors, restaurants and grocery stores)
Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 5.53 If you have questions or concerns, contact SweetenedBevTax@seattle.gov.Tax rate
The standard tax rate for the sweetened beverage tax is $.0175 per ounce. There is a reduced tax rate for certified manufacturers. That rate is $.01 per ounce.
Well, what exactly is the intention?
Is it in the official ordinance?
I found a page full of WHEREASes, which is generally where one finds the asses, and it’s a bit tiresome. I will screenshot a few, because the dang PDF is not encoded properly.
WHEREAS set 1:
WHEREAS set 2:
(it keeps going on like this for some more WHEREASes)
The ultimate THEREFORE:
TWITTER REACTION
Here we go.
True story! They don't want you to drink sugary drinks because it's bad for your health but come on in and shoot up heroin safely in our new safe injection sites. #LiberalLogic
— Judy Gonzalez (@megandrewsmom) January 6, 2018
I'm going to tax you like this and if the incidence falls on the consumer, it's your own fault. https://t.co/sNxPykerdL
— James Hohman (@JamesHohman) January 5, 2018
No, people tax people. And if the sheeple of Seattle are happy to pass this tax then they should not be upset when it is enacted.
— Mimi Antonetti (@zeliemimi) January 6, 2018
So, the retailer is supposed to pay the tax and not increase the price? How's that working for you? pic.twitter.com/idUPWdJ2lO
— Grateful Gary (@Gary49260733) January 6, 2018
ARE YOU KIDDING? Check out these prices at Costco now that the Soda and #SugarTax has taken affect in the Seattle area. 1.75 cents per fluid ounce. Pics
— Tim Williams (@realtimwilliams) January 6, 2018DevinSenaUI</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/HaydenBedsole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">
HaydenBedsole pic.twitter.com/RcsPY4e8L4
Yeah, they basically said “we are going to pass this tax it’s more expensive so you will buy less, but it’s not our fault it’s more expensive.”
— Bill Glick (@BillGlickYk) January 6, 2018
I suppose they thought decades of crappy public schooling would lead to the result of taxpayers not understanding a cause-effect chain (politicians may or may not understand said chain, but they seem to think that others don’t get it). But at some point, it’s just pathetic.
Here’s a whole chain on realizing that the pols are plain lying and assuming people will buy it:
The tax was intended to discourage fat people from drinking sugary drinks. How is it going to do that if folks don't have to pay more?
— Cousin Eddie (@wvuphil75) January 6, 2018
I'm saying they are lying if they say they didn't know the tax would be passed on since that would be the only way to change behavior.
— Cousin Eddie (@wvuphil75) January 6, 2018
Not saying they aren't stupid, but they also have to be lying.
— Cousin Eddie (@wvuphil75) January 6, 2018
Doesn’t really matter if they’re lying or just stupid themselves.
So.
I guess we’re doing this soda tax thing again.
"Why do you hate the government so much?" they ask. pic.twitter.com/rodI1Yl9R2
— Devin Sena (@DevinSenaUI) January 5, 2018
Yay.
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