Christie Carpino

This So-Called Sweetened Drink Tax Isn’t So Sweet

By State Representative Christie Carpino

Every now and then, some of the folks in state government come up with an innovative way to take more money from your wallet. This time, it’s a proposed tax on ‘certain sweetened’ drinks. They’ll tell you it’s all about keeping us healthy and fighting obesity.

Sounds like a good thing, right?

Let’s not be so quick to swallow that sugar-coated story. Truth is, this tax has a lot more to do with yet another scheme to take money out of the pockets of people that work hard than it does with improving the health of Connecticut residents.

Let’s be real— sweeteners are hiding in everything from our morning cereal to the bottle of barbeque sauce in the fridge. If this tax was really about health, wouldn’t they go after all those other sweetener-loaded products as well? How about candy, ice cream, and the ultimate culprit ….  actual sugar? These “offenders” get a free pass under this proposal, but a Diet Coke or a flavored Iced Coffee is hit with a new and improved tax. Odd.

The last thing working families need right now is a higher grocery bill. My district is a world away from the one belonging to the Fairfield County legislator that bragged, “Tax my people, they won’t even notice.” We notice! And we don’t want any new made-up taxes. Perhaps those that support this great idea haven’t spent much time in a grocery store lately?  Maybe they don’t need to pay attention to their receipts?

New taxes are often proposed with a laudable goal, but this is just another proposal to generate more state revenue. If we want to build a healthier community, we need to get serious about education, create access to high-quality health care, and focus on funding our priorities—not just adding another ‘here we go again’ tax at the register.

Let’s hope legislators come to their senses.