Voters in Seattle – the US caffeine capital – have rejected a proposed 10 cents (14c) tax on espresso coffee.
With 58% of votes counted last night, the tax was opposed by 68% of voters.
The local tax would have tapped the lifeblood of the west coast city where espressos are sold on nearly every street corner and where Starbucks and a generation of coffee shops were born.
Initiative sponsor John Burbank said people who spend up the £3 (€4.20) on coconut mochas or iced vanilla lattes could afford an extra dime for kids. The tax would have raised millions of dollars each year for the city’s pre-school and day-care programmes.
Coffee shop owners, including Seattle-based Starbucks, fought the tax.
“It’s not a luxury item as far as the culture here,” said Jeff Babcock, owner of Zoka Coffee and Roasters. “It’s a cold, wet, damp environment. Coffee’s big, and everyone loves their lattes.”
The ballot measure, Initiative 77, would not have taxed regular drip coffee, only espresso drinks.
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Those politicians are f**king creedy. After they don't find any other ways to raise their salaries they just try to exploit citizens with new taxes. How much taxpayers money Seattle used for this proposal? Everyone who uses brains would have known the result of this voting before proposal. Maybe those politicans should start to think how to CUT THEIR OWN EXPENSES. Same shit everywhere.
[This message was edited by Faceless on September 17, 2003 at 05:49 AM.]
With 58% of votes counted last night, the tax was opposed by 68% of voters.
The local tax would have tapped the lifeblood of the west coast city where espressos are sold on nearly every street corner and where Starbucks and a generation of coffee shops were born.
Initiative sponsor John Burbank said people who spend up the £3 (€4.20) on coconut mochas or iced vanilla lattes could afford an extra dime for kids. The tax would have raised millions of dollars each year for the city’s pre-school and day-care programmes.
Coffee shop owners, including Seattle-based Starbucks, fought the tax.
“It’s not a luxury item as far as the culture here,” said Jeff Babcock, owner of Zoka Coffee and Roasters. “It’s a cold, wet, damp environment. Coffee’s big, and everyone loves their lattes.”
The ballot measure, Initiative 77, would not have taxed regular drip coffee, only espresso drinks.
*****************
Those politicians are f**king creedy. After they don't find any other ways to raise their salaries they just try to exploit citizens with new taxes. How much taxpayers money Seattle used for this proposal? Everyone who uses brains would have known the result of this voting before proposal. Maybe those politicans should start to think how to CUT THEIR OWN EXPENSES. Same shit everywhere.
[This message was edited by Faceless on September 17, 2003 at 05:49 AM.]
