Despite recent allegations of sexual abuse of male minors, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray is charging on “for the people”. This time, the hardcore leftist Democrat is revising an already leftist tax proposal to make it even “better” at achieving social justice.
The tax in question is a soda tax. It was initially proposed in February, and would have imposed a tax of two cents per ounce on distributors of “sugary” sweetened drinks -- including drinks sweetened with corn syrup, an ingredient the feds promote by imposing tariffs on foreign sugar.
But Mayor Murray received some criticism for that proposal, not because it was an attempt to extort more money from people the way a mafia would threaten punishment of local shop owners if they didn’t hand over a cut of the gross, but because, as Christian Britschgi sums up for Reason, “his proposed two-cents-an-ounce tax on soda sweetened with sugar would be borne disproportionately by the poor and people of color."
Instead, Magnanimous Murray wants to drop the tax to 1.75 cents. How nice. And since his original proposal was supposedly justified to “combat obesity” -- you know, because sodas force themselves down peoples’ throats like the Alien Facehugger -- he is now going to expand its application to any sweetened drink, even if it's sweetened by an artificial ingredient or stevia.
Pay no attention to the fact that this pulls the “rationale mask” off his money-hungry proposal. These aren’t the Droids you’re looking for. Move along.
And just to make you aware of how this tax is imposed because he “cares,” Murray has offered his reasoning behind the change.
It’s all about social justice. Yes! Check it out.
Britschgi notes on Murray announcing his change to the tax:
"Diet drinks, Hizzoner (Murray) reasoned, were more likely to be consumed by 'upper middle class white people.' It had become for him 'an issue of equity,' a way to tackle 'white privileged institutionalized racism.'"
Of course! Embrace the pain! It’s a way to tackle institutionalized racism! Need one say more?
A little.
Britschgi makes another important point about the bizarre reaction people have to these kinds of taxes. Similar to the American Colonials in Boston who resisted and found ways to avoid the British tax on tea, people in cities like Philadelphia, where this was tried, don’t swallow the government pill.
As Reason has reported, Philadelphia's soda tax—which went into effect in January—has seen price hikes of 30 to 50 percent along with job losses in the beverage industry. Philly.com has reported that one of the city's largest drink distributors said it will cut 20 percent of its workforce, while an owner of several ShopRite stores said he will cut some 300 jobs.
But that’s just crazy. This theft of tax cash is for “the people.” Murray is an avatar of the “General Will”. Sure, people could donate the extra money to the causes he wants to tax to fund, but it is much better that their choices be dictated by the state. And if people don’t like it, he can say they’re racists, because, after all, the tax is now reformulated like New Coke, to make up for centuries of “white privilege”.
So, drink up. Raise a toast to this paragon of virtue who just keeps fighting, no matter the odds. And remember Seattle residents, if this tax proposal passes and your soda costs more, it’s because you’re guilty of something. It won’t matter your personal background or personal moral choices. Mayor Murray will show you that you’re guilty.
He’s a paragon of virtue, and he really cares.
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