N.Y. Governor Gets Tough on Soft Drinks
Want a soda with that? It'll cost you, if what you're after is a non-diet drink and you happen to be in New York, thanks to a controversial tax plan that Gov. David Paterson has cooked up to combat rising obesity rates in his home state.
Want a soda with that? It’ll cost you, if what you’re after is a non-diet drink and you happen to be in New York, thanks to a controversial tax plan that Gov. David Paterson has cooked up to combat rising obesity rates in his home state.
Dig, Root, GrowThe New York Times:
The 18 percent “obesity tax,” as it has been called, is part of a broader budget proposal announced on Tuesday, would be on top of existing sales taxes and would apply to nondiet sodas and fruit drinks containing less than 70 percent natural fruit juice, including “-ades, punches and certain fruit nectars,” as the budget proposal put it. The tax, one of few of its kind in the nation, would not apply to bottled water, diet sodas, coffee, tea or milk.
State officials projected that the tax would raise $404 million in the fiscal year that starts in April, and $539 million in the following fiscal year, but said the proposal was primarily a public health measure.
This year, we’re all on shaky ground, and the need for independent journalism has never been greater. A new administration is openly attacking free press — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Your support is more than a donation. It helps us dig deeper into hidden truths, root out corruption and misinformation, and grow an informed, resilient community.
Independent journalism like Truthdig doesn't just report the news — it helps cultivate a better future.
Your tax-deductible gift powers fearless reporting and uncompromising analysis. Together, we can protect democracy and expose the stories that must be told.
This spring, stand with our journalists.
Dig. Root. Grow. Cultivate a better future.
Donate today.
Environment
More than half of discretionary spending goes to the military. Only a tiny fraction addresses the most urgent threat to our security.
Editorial Cartoons
Military
A new budget loophole will send Pentagon spending soaring even higher.
Politics
House GOP says Pentagon budget is safe—but social security and Medicare aren't.
The budget proposal offers a terrifying preview of what we can expect from Trump if he wins another four years in office.
Deficits averaging 4.8% of GDP are foreseen over the course of the coming decade; experts say anything above 3% is unsustainable.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.