The Portland Soda Party

            Portland Oregon, the same city that called for a rally for free speech to be cancelled, is at it again. This time they are following in the footsteps of larger cities like New York and Oakland and attempting to place a tax on soda and sugary drinks. According to Oregonlive the tax would be 1.5 cents/ounce. This tax along with the deposit increase recently passed would mean that consumers would pay an additional $2.76 for a twelve pack of soda.

            The goal of this tax, as stated by the advocates pushing it, is to promote the health of those living in Multnomah County by stopping consumption of sugary drinks. Over consumption of sugary drinks can lead to diabetes and obesity and this tax seeks to curb the increase in those maladies. According to Oregonlive, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg provided $60,000 to get the initiative started. In cities where this sort of tax has been introduced they have seen a 20% decrease in soda consumption.

            Yet what they do not report is the loss of jobs and damages to small businesses. Distributors will be laid off or fired, small businesses will take a hit to already dwindling profit margins, and consumers will be forced to pay the tax to get what they want or go without. Soda is not a necessary item but it is something that people want. We already have taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, and lottery games and now they are coming for your soda.

Yes those things are unhealthy for you, but why should we allow the government to use its authority to tax us as a way to tell us what we can and cannot consume? The responsibility of that choice falls on the individual not the state. Another argument for the tax is the claim that people who get diabetes from over consumption of soda and can’t afford the medical care is a burden on the state. That just seems like an argument against state funded healthcare to me. Ultimately it comes down to choice, do we the people have the choice in how we want to live our lives, or do advocacy groups and government officials get to make those choices for us? Does the free market get to decide the price of what is sold or does the government? In 1773 the Sons of Liberty dumped a shipment of tea into the harbor over a tax dispute. Will you stand by and allow this blatant reach into your pocket and attempt to control your actions, or could we see a Portland Soda Party? Only time will tell.