Seattle taxpayers win as espresso tax goes down by a 2 to 1 margin
WASHINGTON – In another victory for taxpayers, Seattleites went to the polls and sent the latest new tax scheme to an overwhelming defeat. As if the tax were specifically designed to irritate Seattle residents, the proposed tax aimed to slap a surcharge on any drink made with espresso.
"Seattleites reacted as if someone was trying to pry their lattes out of their hands the morning after a late night. In a way, someone was," said taxpayer advocate and ATR President Grover Norquist. "The new tax proposed to make their espresso drinks more difficult to buy and that is something the overwhelming majority of coffee drinkers just find unacceptable."
ATR also highlighted the tax defeat\’s good news for coffee vendors. "The economy is still weak. This new tax would have yoked vendors with yet another burden of collection costs and a new disincentive to purchase higher priced products. The defeat of this ridiculous measure is a big win for vendors, as well as for the economy, which would have suffered another blow," said Norquist.
The new tax, euphemistically known as the Early Learning and Care Campaign, proposed to devote the funds to early childhood initiatives. Seattle residents however, seemed to realize that if such a noble end is really the aim of the tax, then spending should be cut from elsewhere to provide funds.
"In parts of the country as different as Seattle and Alabama, Americans are shouting their agreement about one thing: We are taxed too much, not too little. The present anti-tax mood of the country is clear. It\’s time our elected officials woke up and smelled the coffee," concluded Norquist.