State Senator Assails Prospect of Penny-Per-Ounce Tax on Soda

By Judy L. Randall
March 13, 2010, 12:04AM
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The proposed state tax on soda is nothing but a sweet cheat, a member of Staten Island’s Albany delegation railed yesterday.

"It’s up to parents to determine what their kids put in their mouths," said state Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn), contending the penny-per-ounce levy would hurt working families.

She also said there was no guarantee the revenue would be dedicated to efforts to curb childhood obesity.

"What are they calling it today?" Ms. Savino asked, rallying with more than 100 Teamsters at the Coca-Cola sales and distribution facility in Mariners Harbor. "A syrup tax? A soda tax? A sugar tax?

"What it is, is a bad tax that disproportionately impacts working families."...

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