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Many people hate the idea of a soda tax: die-hard free market enthusiasts, many conservatives, and, of course, beverage company CEOs. But try arguing with this logic: putting a small tax on soda could not only raise billions of dollars for cities and states, but it would lower the rates of obesity and diabetes across the country, too.
Sounds like a win-win to me. To help spread the word about the benefits of a soda tax, the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity has designed this revenue calculator to help you determine how much your city or state stands to reap if a small tax were tacked onto the purchase of unhealthy beverages.
For instance, my city, New York, stands to rake in some $652 million a year if a each soda was taxed just one cent per ounce. Los Angeles would make $165 a year if every drink was taxed half a cent per ounce. And California could take in over $1 billion annually if soda were taxed just 0.3 cents an ounce.
As you know, countless cities and states are grappling with unbalanced budgets due to the economic recession--which means important public programs are in jeopardy. And a simple, small tax to a drink that has absolutely no health benefits could go a huge ways in generating the funds they desperately need. And after all, few people seriously complain about the taxes levied against cigarettes and alcohol--taxing soda is another way that we could simultaneously discourage unhealthy behavior and get some valuable revenue.
Finally, it's worth noting that soda is extremely bad for the environment to produce--it sucks up a lot of unnecessary water, and emits tons of carbon through distribution. So you shouldn't feel too bad if it's market shares take a hit from a new, beneficial tax.
More on Unhealthy Soda
Pepsi Gets Greener--If You Must Drink Soda from Vending Machines
You've Heard of Beer Goggles: Now Try Soda Goggles
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