Now Democrats attack soda in San Francisco

 

Making Food A Crime

• The leftist Democrat Food Nazis of San Francisco want to tax you for daring to use your right to consume the drink of your choice.
• No doubt the next step is higher taxes on meat, ice cream and fried foods.

The Democrat run San Francisco Supervisors narrowly agreed Tuesday to place a 2-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks on the November ballot, a move that promises to turn the election into an expensive fight between the beverage industry and public health advocates.

The city's Board of Supervisors voted 6-4 to ask voters to approve the tax on sodas, sports drinks and other beverages sweetened with sugar and sold in the city. It would have to be approved by two-thirds of the electorate to take effect.

City officials have estimated the measure would raise somewhere between $31 million and $52 million a year. The proceeds would go toward nutrition, health, disease prevention, recreation and school physical education programs reports USA Today.

Supporters said they were motivated by research that has shown a link between sugar consumption and increasing rates of obesity and diabetes among young people.

"This is a life-or-death issue," said Supervisor Malia Cohen, a sponsor of the tax. "Bullets are not the only thing killing African American males. We also have sugary beverages that are killing people."

The tax would be imposed on beverage distributors, but its opponents on the board said they were concerned that it would be passed on to consumers and further penalize the population it is intended to help. They also questioned how effective the initiative would be in getting residents to give up sodas.

"What is going to stop someone from going ... to Costco and stocking up on sugary beverages in an area that is not San Francisco," Supervisor Katy Tang asked.

Supporters of the soda tax also include the school board, a number of local parent-teacher associations, the teachers union, several medical groups and local food banks.

"Free Tax Money For All"

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Two percent of the money raised from the tax will be used for administrative costs.

Of the rest, 40 percent will go to the school district to use for student nutrition, gardening, cooking classes, after-school programs and physical education.  (Now we know why the teacher union supports more taxes, and it has nothing to do with "nutrition.)

Twenty-five percent will be split by the Department of Public Health and the Public Utilities Commission to promote healthful food and drinks, and build more drinking fountains and water bottle refilling stations.

An additional 25 percent will go to the Recreation and Park Department for athletic programs and recreation centers, and 10 percent will go to "community groups" that support nutrition and recreation.

The San Francisco tax would apply to drinks that have added sugar and contain more than 25 calories per 12 ounces. Diet sodas, alcoholic drinks, infant formula, milk and nondairy creamers would not be taxed, but concentrates used to make juice and other drinks would be.

The tax would be levied on the first distributor of the products within city limits - usually a grocery store or other retail outlet, though the surcharge is expected to be passed on to consumers.

(San Francisco Chronicle)

Obey your Masters in government.