Espresso-tax debate has foes steaming
A dime tax on lattes in Seatle?
Foam or no foam, a latte in Seattle may soon come served with an extra dollop of taxation if city voters approve the dime-a-cup tax proposed for espresso drinks on the Sept. 16 primary election ballot.
People are pointing out that this will be an “accounting nightmare”, and they’re right. One coffee shop owner is saying she’ll pull expresso machines if this passes, and she should. The best quote, however:
Symms, who raised two children as a single parent, resents the idea that espresso drinkers ought to be saddled with the bill for other people’s preschool.
“We’re already paying for education,” [Diane Symms] said. “I think the parents are responsible for the children until they go to the public schools.”
The idea that “it’s just a dime” given by supporters of this miss the point. The larger issue is this idea of “why, they spend X on coffee already, they can pay more to send my kid to school.”
People suspect it does. If so, I hope people switch their drinking habits and let this initiative die a flaming death of failure.