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Friday, April 2, 2010

At Fordham Supermarket, Group Protests 'Soda Tax'

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The scene at Pioneer Supermarket on Ryer Avenue last Wednesday (Photo courtesy of New Yorkers Against Unfair Taxes)

New Yorkers Against Unfair Taxes, a coalition of supermarkets and other businesses with ties to the beverage industry, has been railing against Gov. David Paterson's plans for an 18-percent sales tax on sodas and other sugary drinks.

On Wednesday, the group held a protest and petition-signing session (pictured above) at the Pioneer Supermarket on Ryer Avenue near East 187th Street. The store's owner, David Corona, has appeared in a recent television commercial criticizing the tax. In it, he says: "They talk about a penny here, a penny there, but you know what, in this type of community it all adds up."

Bronx politicians to have taken a stand on the issue include Assembly members Ruth Hassell-Thompson and Jeff Klein, who are firmly on the side of the beverage industry. (Klein has received $36,000 in campaign contributions from drink companies and related groups since December 2008, the Daily News reported last month.) Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowtiz, meanwhile, supports a tax on sugary drinks and foods.

Those in favor of the soda tax say it would plug a hole in the state budget and, at the same time, combat obesity and diabetes.

3 comments:

  1. It makes me angry every time they run a commercial representing soda as a necessary part of "grocery" shopping.

    You don't need to drink soda.

    Heck, drinking soda isn't even good for your health!

    What people in this community need is LESS soda, and better health care. The proposed tax would give us both. Stop the lies!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree. The whole point of a vice tax like this is to give financial incentive to lay off something that is bad for one's health. The science on sugary beverages shows that, without a doubt, they contribute to obesity. Nothing but empty calories.

    So if you are on a tight budget, as many are here in the Bronx, then consider drinking tap water (it's really good filtered to get out the chlorine taste, and pretty much free), or an unsweetened beverage which will now seem like more of a bargain. (Wasn't it always weird that a bottle of coke and a bottle of Dasani water cost the same?)

    Also, a new study out from Princeton shows a strong link between high fructose corn syrup and obesity: http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Meal planning is very important for Diabetes control. use this free meal planner http://bit.ly/cMc1i8 and learn how to plan your meals for better diabetes and blood sugar control.

    ReplyDelete

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