Could Massachusetts impose tax on sodas?

[TexasTowelie]

Among the proposals facing the Legislature in the new year: a plan to impose a tax on soda. Such efforts have fallen flat in the past, but the notion has gained support elsewhere in the country recently. Here’s a quick look at what’s at stake.

What’s the idea behind taxing soda?

Proponents describe soda taxes in much the same way that advocates have argued for increased taxes on cigarettes over the years: They create a new stream of revenue for government while encouraging consumers to cut back on an unhealthy practice – in this case, consuming sugar. In some cases, the revenue is used for public health programs.

What are the arguments against it?

Some opponents simply don’t want to burden consumers with new taxes. Some argue that such a tax takes a disproportionate toll on the poor. Some object to the government attempting to force changes in their personal behavior.

Has such a tax been imposed elsewhere?

Yes. In last month’s election voters in four jurisdictions, including San Francisco and Boulder, Colo., approved such a tax. Philadelphia and Berkeley, Calif., have such a tax. And in Cook County, Ill., which includes Chicago, commissioners in mid-November approved a new 1-cent levy. Among the high-profile supporters of such efforts: former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was active in the California campaigns. (Bloomberg’s own effort to ban oversized drinks in New York was a flop.)

Read more: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/12/06/could-mass-impose-tax-sodas/wEsTkrV3r31hY6MMNzBhHN/story.html