Monday, May 09, 2016

Mixed on the Soda Tax

The problem here in the urban hellhole (and in Pennsylvania generally) is that the constitution doesn't allow for different income tax rates. Taxes can be raised, but across the board. We can't just soak the rich. For a local municipality to try to raise more money, they're inevitably going to have turn to regressive taxes. The mayor wants universal pre-K. That would be a good thing. How do we pay for it? That's tricky. If you're going to do regressive taxes then sin taxes are probably better than others. They're still regressive. I wouldn't support a soda tax for bloombergian nanny state reasons, but if all the funds are dedicated to program which is directed largely at the group of people who are being taxed... well, maybe.