Soda taxes are regressive: Second Look

Letter to the editor:

Paste BN’s recent editorial “Soda taxes fall flat” correctly labels Philadelphia’s soda tax a “money grab.” That tends to be the underlying motivation of all taxes on food and beverages.

What is most insidious about such taxes is who they are grabbing the cash from — mostly low-income individuals who cannot easily drive elsewhere to buy groceries that aren’t singled out for taxation. By their very nature, food and beverage taxes are regressive taxes that take money from low-income consumers. That’s why Sen. Bernie Sanders opposed Philadelphia’s soda tax. And it’s among the many reasons why policymakers should look elsewhere when searching for revenue.

Baylen Linnekin; Bethesda, Md.

Facebook comments edited for clarity and grammar:

This reminds me of Democrat rhetoric on how things affect the lower income and minorities the most. Except, of course, when it comes to these high behavior-correction taxes, then the excuse is the health and well-being of the citizenry.

— Bob Smith

It’s not a question of being informed. It’s about self-discipline. Being informed didn’t lower smoking rates. It took high taxes to finally make a difference.

— Roberta Rendozky