New Yorkers overwhelmingly oppose Gov. Paterson’s so-called obesity tax on soda and other non-nutritional drinks, a new poll shows.
The Quinnipiac University poll found that 60% of those surveyed oppose the proposed 18% tax, with just 37% supporting it.
Even those who prefer diet soft drinks, which would not be subject to the tax, say it is all wet by a 58% to 39% margin, the poll found.
The fierce opposition runs across the political spectrum.
“Voters aren’t swallowing the proposal to tax non-diet soft drinks,” Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said Wednesday when releasing poll results.
Voters appear more amenable to taxing millionaires (84% to 13%)and items such as cigarettes (73% to 26%) and alcohol (67% to 32%).
By a 53% to 40% margin, New Yorkers said they do not believe the state budget crisis is serious enough to raise taxes.
If taxes must be raised, 44% say the state should hike auto registration fees, 31% support raising sales taxes,and 14% back hiking the income tax.
Nearly 80% oppose hiking gasoline taxes. Paterson proposed lifting a state tax cap on gasoline.
Still, by a 53% to 36% margin, New Yorkers would rather cut services than raise taxes.
When it comes to service cuts, 65% said they support reducing economic development aid; just 10% support cutting education or health care.
For Paterson, the good news is that voters agree with him by a whopping 88% to 8% margin that there is a budget crisis. The bad news is that they disapprove of the way he is handling it by a 46% to 40% margin.
Paterson last week proposed a budget that includes $9.5 billion in cuts, including large reductions in education and health care spending.
He also proposed 137 new fees and taxes totaling $4.1 billion.
Paterson’s approval rating has dipped to 53%, down from a high of 64% in August.
Just under 70% are somewhat or very dissatisfied with the way things are going in New York.
Asked the most important issues facing the state, 43% said the economy, 19% taxes, and 17% the budget.
(Source: NY Daily News)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
The govenor is right taxing the rich more would cause them to leave New York State. He should review programs and eleminate programs which do not work like bilingual and ESL classes. How is he going to tax soda 80% of it is water does he want to charge an 18% tax on water. What will he do with fountain soda where the product sold my the soda company is syrup will he tax it 18% or multiply it by 5 to be equal to the tax on bottles? The state is already collect 5 cents on each bottle of soda. Cuomo introduced this tax when he saw how much money the bottle return bill was making for bottlers.
Basically voters are amenable to taxing people other than themselves. Is that a chiddush? What ever happened to cutting spending?
Raising taxes during a recession (depression in the making?) is totally dumb. Beyond hoping for a federal bailout (supported by the federal printing press), the city and state need to cut expenses. Telling civil servants and contractors to take pay cuts might help (those who say “no” can be offered unemployment insurance instead). Reducing services would help. Making New York into a business-friendly state might help prevent unemployment. But raising taxes in a high-tax state that just lost much of its main industry IS STUPID.
What does a really fat guy on a motorcycle have to do with this article?
He got that fat from regular soda?