Raising Taxes on Beverages Would Cost New York Citizens Millions

[Intense]

Gov. Paterson is at it again! He just proposed a new 12-cent per can tax on sugar sweetened beverages. That’s an extra $1.44 on a 12-pack! And it’s 10 times more per 12-pack than the current state tax on alcoholic beverages like beer! We need to send a strong message that this is not the time to add a tax on the backs of hard-working New Yorkers. This is not the time to put thousands of good-paying beverage industry jobs at risk.

We need your help today. Fill in the form below to send a message to your state legislator. Tell them you are a hard-working New Yorker that is fed up with taxes!


New Yorkers Against Unfair Taxes - Grassroots Action Center

 

[Intense]

Saturday Night Live - Update: Gov. Paterson - Video - NBC.com

 

[chanel]

smoking bans, trans fats, sodium, sugar, etc. So much for NYC being the restaurant/entertainment capital of the world. The health nazis aren't just after the tax money. They'd like to kill tourism as well. Hey Top Chefs - Move your restaurants to NJ Oh wait...

 

[boedicca]

Oh No!!!!!

How are the hard core lefties going to afford their Koolaid?

We'll need to increase the food stamp allowance for New Yorkers.

 

[RodISHI]

Curious. Is this only beverages with sugar? Does this tax include beverages with substitute sugars?

 

[chanel]

I don't think diet soda is included. They think it will reduce obesity or something. Last time I was in NY I didn't see an unusually high number of fat people. Go figure.

 

[Intense]

Facts, FAQ’s and Quotes

Facts FAQ’s Quotes

Facts

Raising Taxes on Beverages Would Cost New York Citizens Millions

If another sales tax hike is placed on juice drinks and sodas that New Yorkers enjoy every day, hardworking New Yorkers will be hit the hardest. There could not be a worse time to ask them to pay more for the products they consume.

Here are the facts:

A regressive tax:

•A sales tax on products – like soda and juice drinks – hits those who can least afford to pay the higher costs, especially middle and lower income New Yorkers.
Jobs are at stake:

•The beverage industry currently supports more than 160,000 good-paying jobs in New York, totaling some $6.7 billion in wages. These are jobs held by hardworking New Yorkers all across the state in manufacturing, distribution, and retail.
•Jobs in the beverage industry are good jobs, and include many union workers.
•The non-alcoholic beverage industry in New York State has a direct economic impact of $7 billion per year and supports an additional $18 billion in economic activity.
What you can do:

•Sign up to support New Yorkers Against Unfair Taxes at NoBeverageTax.com.
•Write your legislator or Governor Paterson and tell them you can’t handle more taxes.
•Write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper.
Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is New Yorkers Against Unfair Taxes?

A. New Yorkers Against Unfair Taxes is a coalition of over 6,500 concerned New Yorkers – hard working individuals, struggling families, and already burdened small businesses – opposed to any new tax increases on juice drinks and soda. The coalition’s primary aim is to prevent the enactment of unfair and misdirected beverage taxes that could cost our state over 6,000 jobs. Our coalition understands that New Yorkers are already among the highest taxed citizens in the nation; that we can’t tolerate a regressive tax that disproportionately targets middle and lower income New Yorkers; and that we won’t be fooled by Albany trying to control our lifestyle by policing what we eat and drink.

Q. Could a beverage tax increase damage New York’s economy?

A. Without doubt, a tax increase could do serious damage to our already fragile economy. The beverage industry supports 160,000 jobs in New York communities large and small, providing a direct economic benefit to the state economy of nearly $7 billion and an indirect benefit of $25 billion. A tax hike on beverages would put at risk good-paying jobs with good health benefits for many hard-working New Yorkers – hitting them in both their checkbook and their paycheck.

Q. Aren’t there already taxes on juice drinks and soda sold in New York?

A. You bet there are, loads of them. The State of New York already has some of the highest sales taxes in the nation. New Yorkers would pay this new tax in addition to the existing sales tax, regardless of whether the beverages were purchased at a store, or in a restaurant. Current sales taxes in New York vary from 7% to 8.75%, depending on where you live.

Q. Who will be most affected by a tax increase on juice drinks and soda?

A. A beverage tax increase will have a disproportionate impact on those who can least afford to pay the higher costs, especially middle and lower-income New Yorkers. New York families already pay some of the highest taxes in the nation, and are struggling in this difficult economy. There could not be a worse time to ask them to pay more for the products they consume.

Quotes

“The tax would pull more money out of taxpayers’ hands in order to prop up a broken and bloated government budget. “

—John Nothdurft, 10/24/09

“I read in one of the news accounts that [Gov. Paterson is] proposing a soda tax again…The bottom line should be, as we go through these discussions, no new taxes, no new fees.”

—Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos (R-LI), from NY Post ‘Fizzy fit over ‘tax’ on sodas’, 10/22/09

“I am appalled by the comparison of cigarette smoking to soft drink consumption by misguided pundits and advocates…An analogy such as this is an outrage that cancer researchers should denounce as a trivialization of a deadly disease that inflicts family tragedy and enormous societal cost.”

—Richard H. Adamson, Ph.D, The Post-Standard, Letter to the Editor, 1/9/09

“Daines’ online scold, of course, is of a piece with the arrogant, we-know-what’s-best-for –you attitude that Mayor Bloomberg and city health czar Tom Frieden have displayed to a fare-thee-well….If they keep it up, though, we know where it’ll lead: Eventually, New Yorkers will run flat out of money – and starve. Now there’s a way to guarantee they’ll lose weight. Or is that what Paterson and Daines had in mind all along?”

—New York Post, editorial, 1/4/09

“We already pay the third highest taxes in the nation, we pay taxes on property over assessed, we pay for permits to do anything on or to our property, we pay income tax, property tax, tax on purchases, tax on gasoline, tax on food…tax on phone, electric, gas and water usage. We are tax stressed!…We pay over and over and over again in taxes…in everything we do, buy and use. So we now have an obesity tax because only soda makes people obese? No more taxes.”

—Nicole Bardo DeGolier, The Post-Journal, Letter to the Editor, 1/11/09

“I started this company precisely because people wanted a lower-calorie and refreshing alternative to plain juice. Now it seems that Gov. Paterson wants to penalize my company, and others like it, for providing healthful, all-natural alternatives.”

—Liz Morrill, founder and CEO Fizzy Lizzy all-natural sparkling juice, Convenience Store News, 1/13/09


New Yorkers Against Unfair Taxes - Facts, FAQ’s and Quotes

 

[Intense]

Sounds like Patterson is stirring up the Mob, Elderly, Kid's, Teamsters, from, Ensure to Nestle's, to Coke, He's going to need Witless Protection and a new identity in the end. LOL!




NY Beverage Tax May Use Fluid Definition Of "Dietary Aids"



New York State's proposed tax on soda, energy drinks and sports beverages is riling industry and retailers opposed to what they call a regressive and economically damaging levy. But industry also may have questions about exactly what the dedicated tax means by excluding "dietary aids" and where liquid dietary supplements, medical foods and other nutritional products would fall.

Gov. David Paterson's 2010-2011 executive budget proposal notes on page 130 that "New York can make great strides in combating the obesity epidemic by applying lessons learned in our battle against tobacco," which the state has heavily taxed. Hence, the proposed tax of about $.01 per ounce of bottled soft drinks and other sugary beverages lacking a certain amount of fruit or vegetable juice.

A coalition of New York retailers oppose the tax and the American Beverage Association rejects the idea of the tax reducing obesity rates. We noted the public health arguments in favor of such a policy here.


Excluded from the tax proposal are milk products and infant formula, as well as dietary aids. The proposal does not specify exactly what constitutes a dietary aid, and this could create some confusion. Is it a dietary supplement? In that case, makers of many energy drinks and other functional beverages labeled as supplements may try to argue their products are exempt. Of course, FDA weighed in on the issue of supposed "supplements" packaged as conventional beverages with a recent draft guidance, which "The Tan Sheet" discussed here.
Does dietary aid refer to a medical food? That happens to be another gray area FDA is looking to clarify, with a warning letter last month to Nestle regarding labeling for its Boost Kid Essentials Nutritionally Complete Drink, as we reported here.

Perhaps dietary aid points to a product like Abbott's Ensure, which has vitamins and minerals but also is loaded with sugar and not labeled as a dietary supplement. Might such nutritional products end up taxed in New York?

Looks like the Empire State may be cracking open a bigger can of worms than it realizes...



Thirsty for the latest in nutritional and OTC industry news and insight? Try a cool, refreshing subscription to "The Tan Sheet" today. Click here for a free 30-day trial.

- Dan Schiff ([email protected])

OverTheCounterToday: NY Beverage Tax May Use Fluid Definition Of "Dietary Aids"

 

[Intense]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Maz9ddxEQnM]YouTube - The Beatles - Taxman[/ame]

 

[Ame®icano]

"hard-working New Yorkers"

Both of them?

 

[Conspiracist]

Taxing sugary beverages is for our own good! Has nothing to do with money, they worry about us is all.



The Romans taxed the size of your window at the end. Taxed the amount of sunshine that entered your home during the day.

 

[Terry]

Soon they'll tax each golf ball that doesn't land in the fairway.

 

[Big Black Dog]

Libs sit around thinking up new taxes like teenage boys sit around and think about girls.

 

[Xenophon]

NY is already heavily over taxed, but its not the city that will suffer, its all the counties throughout the state.

To say nothing of the reduced revenue stores will have from selling less soda and such.

Once again, a poorly thought out policy designed to do more damage then good.

 

[RadiomanATL]

Libs sit around thinking up new taxes like teenage boys sit around and think about girls.

Combine 'em

A tit - tax. Those who refuse to show, get taxed.

A SBTC (sagging breast tax credit) will be given to those to whom gravity has taken its toll. Automatic credit to those over 50.




/vote for me.

 

[Xenophon]

Libs sit around thinking up new taxes like teenage boys sit around and think about girls.

Combine 'em

A tit - tax. Those who refuse to show, get taxed.

A SBTC (sagging breast tax credit) will be given to those to whom gravity has taken its toll. Automatic credit to those over 50.




/vote for me.

Here come Rosie Odonnell and Helen Thomas.

Go inspect them tough guy.

 

[Terry]

ewwww, guess though if that were a tax I wouldn't have to worry.

 

[RadiomanATL]

Libs sit around thinking up new taxes like teenage boys sit around and think about girls.

Combine 'em

A tit - tax. Those who refuse to show, get taxed.

A SBTC (sagging breast tax credit) will be given to those to whom gravity has taken its toll. Automatic credit to those over 50.




/vote for me.

Here come Rosie Odonnell and Helen Thomas.

Go inspect them tough guy.

I have minions for that sort of thing.

I'm too busy maintaining the new American Brewery Standards.

 

[Xenophon]

Combine 'em

A tit - tax. Those who refuse to show, get taxed.

A SBTC (sagging breast tax credit) will be given to those to whom gravity has taken its toll. Automatic credit to those over 50.




/vote for me.

Here come Rosie Odonnell and Helen Thomas.

Go inspect them tough guy.

I have minions for that sort of thing.

I'm too busy maintaining the new American Brewery Standards.

Flip flopping more then a Kerry on a foreign war.

 

[RadiomanATL]

Here come Rosie Odonnell and Helen Thomas.

Go inspect them tough guy.

I have minions for that sort of thing.

I'm too busy maintaining the new American Brewery Standards.

Flip flopping more then a Kerry on a foreign war.

Nope. I never said that I would inspect them personally. Only Sandra Bullock.

She's mine.

Hands off


/vote for me.