Posted on 06/01/2002 11:30:55 AM PDT by SheLion
Child-care advocates push for 10-cent tax
A proposed tax could hit Seattleites where it really hurts: their coffee mugs. A group of child-care advocates, seeking more money for early education, filed an initiative Friday that would place a 10-cent city tax on Seattle’s lifeblood - espresso drinks.
BUT IN Seattle, where voters have already voted to tax tobacco, meals and hotel rooms, among other things, initial word of the proposal caused barely a jolt among the area’s latte lovers.
“Coffee, in a way, it’s kind of a luxury item,” said Patty Grazini, who frequents the Diva Espresso Bar in Seattle’s Greenwood district. “As long as the money went to the programs it was supposed to, I would support it.”
The Early Learning and Care Committee, which is made up of parents, teachers and child-care directors, expects the tax would raise $7 million to $10 million a year in this coffee-addicted city.
The money would be used to increase wages for child-care teachers, help low- and middle-income families obtain quality child care and increase the amount of high-quality care available in Seattle, said Lisa Moy, campaign manager of the initiative.
The committee has until early August to collect the 17,228 valid signatures needed to get the initiative on November’s ballot.
Melissa Petersen, barista at Diva Espresso, wasn’t so sure the initiative was a good idea. Another 10 cents is a lot to ask for a drink that already can cost $3 to $4, she said.
“They’ve got a smoking tax, regular taxes, why not a yuppie tax?” Petersen said sarcastically.
GUARANTEED INCOME SOURCE
Grazini, 50, averages about two cappuccinos a day and has no problem flipping the bistro an extra couple of dimes. The tax would bring the cost of her daily caffeine dosage to about $4.20, or an additional $73 a year.
Under the plan, drip coffee would not be taxed. Moy said taxing espresso drinks is a guaranteed source of income in Seattle, where many residents can’t get through the day without a caffeine hit.
“We know that the city of Seattle voters are dedicated to their children,” Moy said. “This is one way they can enable children more access to quality pre-kindergarten care.”
Since the tax would apply to businesses that gross more than $50,000 annually, Moy said Starbucks and Tully’s Coffee — Seattle’s main coffee purveyors — have been informed of the group’s plan.
In a prepared statement, Starbucks said the company did not understand why the group “would recommend an additional consumer tax on espresso beverages, or any other single consumer product, to fund this initiative.”
Company spokeswoman Audrey Lincoff would not comment further.
The tax would do little to affect business at Diva Espresso’s four locations in Seattle, manager Stephen Johnson said.
“Regular customers would initially notice, but they would adapt to it very readily,” Johnson said. “I think coffee’s a pretty strong drug. People need their caffeine.”
Now COFFEE is a DRUG!!!!
They are trying to find every way in the world to tax the air we breath.
I run a small business, and anyone out there who does will know what a task and cost it is to collect these taxes, keep all of your "papers" in order and deal with the government. If everything is not squared away you incur penalties.
Florida is real cute. I was a few days late this quarter so the other day I get a PHONE CALL from the tax collector. Gee what neat new tactic, just like the the good old days when the Monarch sent the tax collector out, except now we have phones.
At first I thought it was one of my associates playing a joke, because they're in the process of dragging his dick around in the dirt for the same thing. Nope, it was a real-life schmuck tax collector calling my house.
Question: Why in the hell should I have to be their damn tax collector? I have to do their dirty work and not get compensated? I thank the lord that my wife is a CPA or I honestly don't know what I would do. I don't know how guys that don't have an accountant in the family ever get started for cryin' out loud.
With small business owners, there's just not enough of us to get together to change anything so we just have to sit back and take it. I can't even believe I'm still surviving after all of the s**t I've had to go through just dealing with the government.
Don't wanna sound like I'm whining, but the government has honestly been my biggest obstcacle to my business thriving and bringing my customers a good value.
Moy forgot to add "yet" to the end of her sentence. Citizens, or I should say, Comrades aren't allowed to have disposable income in THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF SEATTLE.
What business does the city have paying for wages at privately run day care centers with taxpayer's money?
If this passes - and it probably will - I hope there is still someone left in Seattle, not towing the party line ( I know there are a few FReepers that qualify), that will challenge it in Federal Court.
Enter Special guest star Rob Reiner, as the head of iamyourchild.org, who lectures Frasier and Niles about how selfish they are for complaining, until they break down and apologize.
I wish I was suprised.
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