Philly Soda Tax Revisited in City Council Hearing
Source: Jeff Greenberg / Getty
Philadelphia City Council approved a resolution calling for a hearing on the city’s soda tax.
What seemed to be an old case that was put behind us years ago, was recently revived by Council member Jim Harrity, who feels that the tax on sugary drinks isn’t saving the city’s economy.
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According to city officials, Philadelphia receives about $75 million a year in revenue from the soda tax, but Harrity is insisting that shoppers go outside the city limits to buy soda and sugary drinks for less, leading them to also buy their groceries in the suburbs, as well.
Source: Mario Tama / Getty
“I think that we’ll see that we’re actually losing money on the soda tax,” Harrity said. “This is really just a tax on the poor because the only people that actually are buying the soda in Philadelphia are those that don’t or can’t afford a vehicle. Most are seniors and in poor families.”
Living a block away from the Kensington-Allegheny intersection in Philadelphia, Harrity sees the affects firsthand, as he has witnessed multiple store closings as a result of the crippling soda tax.
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“My neighborhood, it’s a very low-income neighborhood, my neighbors travel outside the city to get their stuff,” he said. “They may go to the supermarket for something they need for dinner at night, but for the most part, they’re going out once a month or every two weeks, to the county, Bensalem, places like that and buying their soda. And while they’re there, they’re buying all their groceries.”
Council President Kenyatta Johnson told sources that he voted for the tax and would not support its repeal, but he said council members have a right for a hearing if they want one.
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Philly Soda Tax Revisited in City Council Hearing was originally published on ronernbphilly.staging.go.ione.nyc
