Voters Support Smoking Bans, Oppose Taxes on Soda
by Matt at Jan 30th, 2009
A new poll from Rasmussen says that most Americans ”think it’s all right for Big Brother to crack down on smokers, but he better keep his hands off their cell phones and their sodas.” According to the poll 70% oppose tax increases on soda… like the tax proposed by Governor Patterson.
Seventy percent (70%) of Americans also oppose a national tax on all non-diet soft drinks. Eighteen percent (18%) like the idea of a so-called “obesity tax” like the one proposed by New York Governor David Paterson. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided.
Opposition to Paterson’s so-called obesity taxes has generated some interesting backlash… Earlier this week ”protesters dumped sugary soda into the Susquehanna River” in Binghamton in protest of Paterson’s proposal.
“We’re past our line-in-the-sand. We cannot handle any more taxes,” said Judy Monroe, of Windsor, as she toted an “anti-obesity tax” sign along the sidewalk at the Washington Street pedestrian bridge. “It’s to give people an awareness of additional taxes.”
After making their point for no new taxes, 18 protesters leaned over the cold metal railing at the bridge to dump non-diet soda and water from plastic soda bottles into the icy river.
The self-described “Binghamton Tea Party” was aimed at the additional 18 percent tax on non-diet soda, sweetened iced teas and other beverages proposed in Paterson’s fiscal year 2009-10 budget.
The governor said the tax is aimed at fighting obesity; others call it a money grab from middle-class families.
“New York has been a tax-and-spend state for 40 years,” said Trevor Leach, an organizer from the Binghamton Campaign for Liberty. “This got us into trouble. We must return to the principles of our founding fathers.”
Here is some video of the “Binghamton Tea Party.”
Governor Paterson, are you listening?