Submission Number: 00206 

Received: 6/20/2011 11:02:52 AM
Commenter: anne freeman
Organization: 
State: Pennsylvania
Agency: Federal Trade Commission
Initiative: Preliminary Proposed Nutrition Principles to Guide Industry Self-Regulatory Efforts; Project No. P094513
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
i live in Philadelphia. I find it incomprehensible that our city council last week (for the 2nd time!) voted down our mayor's request for a "soda tax" ~ which wanted a 2 cent per ounce increase on all sodas, energy drinks, and the like, in order to fund our public schools. despite the supposed loss of jobs for the truckers and bottlers, the gains don't even need argument. with one-third of the public overweight and/or obese, and the medical issues ~ let's not forget increased costs ~ looming, one would think this is a no-brainer. if the schools are not funded there will be teachers jobs lost. the current idea is to raise the property tax again, which was already raised 10 percent last year. do we assume that the poor are not houseowners, therefore they will not be affected? children are adversely affected by all promotions for junk food, which includes sodas. perhaps we should tax televison viewing, thereby limiting the exposure of some children to pervasive ads.