May 15, 2016
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney received harsh criticism from the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review over his proposed sugary beverage tax.
On Saturday night, the paper published the editorial "Another soda tax: Philadelphia ignorance," calling Kenney "an economics ignoramus."
The proposed tax received national attention when the Democratic Presidential primary rolled into town in April.
Hillary Clinton said she was "very supportive" of the plan while Bernie Sanders called it "regressive."
Kenney quickly defended his proposal and accused Sanders of siding with "greedy beverage corporations."
Now, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review entered the debate, focusing on the proposal's economic impact:
"More's the pity that Philly's leftist mayor isn't grounded in reality: A study by University of California researchers found that up to 70 percent of the soda tax in Berkeley, Calif., is passed along to consumers.
Kenney's tax proposal is projected to add $2.16 to the cost of a six-pack of pop. That's incentive enough for mobile Philly shoppers to buy their soft drinks in nearby New Jersey. So, who'll get tapped the deepest? Most likely low-income residents."
Opinions on the matter are not hard to find as many people are offering possible alternatives to the Philly soda tax.
For now, the debate rages on.
