Philly’s soda tax

Should you have to pay more for fattening, sugary soft drinks? Voters in Philadelphia are about to weigh in, if you will. Next week the city is placing a measure on the ballot to put a tax of 1.5 cents for every ounce of a drink that includes sugar or sweeteners. The New York Times said it would total about 30 cents for a 20-ounce drink.

Berkeley, Calif., has a soda tax, but Philly would become the first large U.S. city to pass one.

Said the Times: “Mayor Jim Kenney’s original proposal was to tax sugary drinks at 3 cents an ounce, a rate that would have doubled the price of many sodas. Aware of the political challenges, he tried a novel strategy to promote his tax. Instead of selling it as a nanny state measure meant to make the city healthier, he presented it as a big untapped source of revenue that could be used to pay for popular initiatives, including expanded prekindergarten, and renovations of city libraries and recreation centers.”

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