

Show HN: How to vote on SF's sugary drink tax - d2vid
https://instapanel.com/prop_e/

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d2vid
I was really surprised by the results. When I created this instapanel I was a
strong "Yes" on Prop E - governments need to raise funds, so why not tax
vices.

Watching the responses, I've changed my vote to "No". The panelists raised a
lot of great points about the holes in Prop E. It's only SF so people will
just drive to Daly City to stock up on soda. There are tons of sugary products
that won't be taxed. It's a tax at the distributor level, so businesses will
just get their soda from outside the city. It's a regressive tax. On and on.

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melling
Why would you ever think adding additional taxes to other products is the best
way to make up for a government deficit? Certainly makes things more
complicated and may have unintended consequences. Shouldn't we be trying to
simplify the system?

Anyway, I'm not economist either. Perhaps it's best if someone could referred
to economic theory, instead of what feels right.

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d2vid
We tax income, even though we agree that income is a good thing.

Why not tax cigarettes, soda, pollution, and other bad things. The dead-weight
loss from the tax is actually a good thing in these cases.

Agreed that there are always unintended consequences, I don't really know for
sure, and democracy is unfortunately usually about feelings.

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hiou
Yet another example of the disaster of craziness that is the California
Proposition system. What a distraction and waste of resources all around.

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cortesoft
This is not a state proposition, it is a local city measure.

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d2vid
Well that sucks, this post is completely delisted from the front page. How'd
that happen?

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fakename
lol at "jason:"

"programs for exercise and to combat childhood obesity, I feel like should
come from somewhere else besides the sources"

no, jason, that doesn't make any sense.

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fakename
oh god, the videos keep going.

this is a compelling argument for dictatorship.

