Taxing drinks for pre-K might work
LETTERS
When I heard about a possible tax on sweetened beverages to fund early childhood education, I felt two immediate emotions. I had a big smile at the thought of pre-kindergarten for all Santa Fe children. And I was concerned about what a tax on soda might mean for my business.
As a mother, I know how precious and essential a good learning foundation is for children’s success in school and life. And I also know how hard I work to keep my business running smoothly and showing a profit. I decided I better investigate whether this “Pre-K for Santa Fe” was as solid and good as people were saying; and I better do some hard thinking about that tax.
First, I learned that Santa Fe already has some very good pre-K programs where children learn through activities and play ... . But then I learned that there are about 1,000 children in the city who can’t be in high-quality pre-K because the subsidized or free spots are filled up. What’s more, if parents don’t qualify for help ... private pre-K can cost from $900 to $1,400 a month. A month!
Next, I had to figure out the tax. If the distributor passes on to me the entire tax that they are charged and I didn’t raise prices for my customers, then it would be hard, but not impossible, for me to pay the whole 2 cents per ounce of sugary drink. But there is a way that my “tax bill” would be smaller than 2 cents per ounce. The distributor could — and I learned normally does in other places with a soda tax — pay some of the tax. I could also pass on some of the tax to my customers, who generally support the idea of expanded pre-K.
I am proud of Santa Fe for exploring options to fund pre-K initiatives and believe this may be one part of the solution. As the owner of a healthy foods restaurant, I believe that we must take a comprehensive, hard look at our food system. If we care about our children and our future, we must try to educate and incentivize healthier eating options . ... We need to help these 1,000 children a year prepare for school so that they have a real chance at the American dream ... . SOMA FRANKS, Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen Santa Fe