Coalition Favors Beer, Tobacco Tax Hike
LANSING, Mich. – Will it soon cost more for an ice cold brew? A coalition is urging lawmakers to hike the beer and tobacco tax to raise money for the needy.
Most of the hands went up when the Coalition for the Needy was asked if it supported a beer and cigarette tax hike, which is now on the table.
27 groups from the Catholic church to the Michigan Federation of Children are telling lawmakers to stop cutting the social safety net. The advocates argue that children will die if more of these services are terminated.
“I think we will see an increase in infant mortality. We’re going to see an increase in teen deaths due to kids not having anything to do after school that’s positive and worthwhile,” said Jack Kresnak, president of Michigan’s Children.
The coalition contends that the face of poverty in Michigan has change dramatically. It’s not just the homeless and welfare families any more.
“We have people that used to be middle income wage earners that are now part of the population that is considered poor. We have a great deal many more children that are poor today than were poor five or ten years ago,” said Paul Long of the Michigan Catholic Conference.
The last time the beer tax was adjusted was in 1966 when it was lower to 1.9 cents a bottle. The proposal on the table now is to boost it to 3.8 cents per bottle.
“We can’t continue to have sacred cows like the beer tax that we don’t touch for decades,” said Sharon Parks of the League for Human Services. “Would you rather cut your schools? Would you rather cut police and fire or would you rather raise the beer tax?”
But here are the political facts of life in Lansing. Many are running for re-election next year. They know that beer drinkers and smokers vote, and lawmakers don’t want to offend them.
The chair of the Senate Taxation Committee wants no part of any tax hike. “I don’t think an increase at all is necessary, broad based tax increase, and I would really caution the governor to be very careful to go back on her promise that she made a couple years back… which was no more taxes,” said Sen. Nancy Cassis.
The coalition disagrees. It says the state needs to raise more revenue to protect those who need it most.
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