Sweetless in Seattle?

From the People's Republic of Seattle comes word that the City Council has passed a tax on sweetened beverages. The tax of $.0175 per ounce will add 21 cents to the cost of a 12 ounce canned soft drink.

The goal of the tax is to raise $15 million a year for a city food stamps program to help poor people buy fruits and vegetables.

As a capitalist, I want to thank the city of Seattle for creating some business opportunities. The black market in soft drinks will grow at an explosive rate. Look for a circle of beverage centers positioned on every major street just outside the city limits. People will be smuggling drinks into the "Emerald City". It will cost Seattle more than $15 million a year to enforce and collect this tax.

Hey Seattle!! If someone buys a cup of coffee and then puts sugar into it, do they owe the tax??

As usual, government "leaders" have demonstrated that they know absolutely nothing about the world of business. In the restaurant industry, the sale of drinks and the higher profit margin on them, enables the restaurant to price the food lower and still make a profit. When sales of "sweetened" drinks drop in restaurants and they will, the cost of food items will increase. Within 6 months, you will have to pay for a cup of water in a Seattle restaurant.

Write this down!!

Jones' Law of Government says "No aspect of your life is so small that the government does not want to control it."