One Latte, Hold the Tax
By George Anderson
Voters in Seattle overwhelmingly rejected a proposed tax, Initiative 77, which would have added a 10-cent levy on every cup of espresso or espresso-based coffee purchased in
the city to fund child daycare for poor families.
Stephanie Bowman, coordinator for Joined to Oppose the Latte Tax, or JOLT told Reuters, “As we said all along, this is the wrong way to fund child care. Everybody should
be paying for these programs, not just coffee drinkers. Not with a gimmick like the Seattle latte tax.”
Moderator’s Comment: What are your thoughts on tax initiatives such as that rejected by Seattle voters?
We’ve never supported a sin tax or other levy targeting specific consumers to pay for government programs, preferring a broad consumption tax instead. That
said, if we lived in Seattle and voted against Initiative 77, we wouldn’t be too quick to publicize it. [George
Anderson – Moderator]