Press Continues to Ignore Philly Soda Tax Fallout, Proposed Tax Hikes

March 9th, 2018 9:42 PM
In November, I noted that the national press, after extensively covering Philadelphia's deceptively named 1.5 cents per ounce "soda tax" when it passed in mid-2016, has ignored its negative fallout, including layoffs at distributors and grocers along with a significant collections shortfall. The non-coverage continues, even though it's clear that the jobs lost aren't coming back, additional jobs…

National Media Not Interested as Philly Soda Tax Collections Flounder

November 30th, 2017 10:07 AM
In June of last year, with much national media fanfare, the City of Philadelphia passed a dishonestly named "soda tax." The levy of 1.5 cents per ounce, which taxes not only sugar-sweetened beverages but also drinks containing "any form of artificial sugar substitute, including stevia, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), saccharin, and advantame" after it took effect on…

Not National News: Philly's Once Heralded 'Soda Tax' Is a Train Wreck

August 12th, 2017 1:32 PM
The national press could barely hide its glee in June 2016 when Philadelphia passed a "soda tax" of 1.5 cents per ounce levied against non-alcoholic beverages containing "any form of artificial sugar substitute, including stevia, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), saccharin, and advantame." Now that the predictions of opponents have virtually all come to pass,…

Philly Soda Tax Layoffs Begin; Press Doesn't Challenge City

March 6th, 2017 8:15 AM
What everyone knew would happen as a result of Philadelphia's 1.5 cents-per-ounce soda tax began materializing on Wednesday, as Pepsi announced that it would lay off roughly 20 percent of its workforce there over the next several months. Coverage at both Philly.com and Associated Press allowed the city to engage in fantasy by claiming without meaningful challenge, or even clarification, that…

Earth to the Press Which Praised It: Philly's 'Soda Tax' Is a Disaster

February 24th, 2017 8:30 AM
In June, the City of Philadelphia, in what was hailed as a "historic moment for public health," passed a deliberately misnamed 1.5-cent per ounce "soda tax." What anyone with a lick of sense could have predicted would happen is happening, and the national press is mostly ignoring the tragic results.

Media Crusade Against Chick-Fil-A Continues

July 31st, 2012 4:39 PM
The manufactured controversy over Chick-Fil-A won’t be dying down anytime soon, if media figures get their way. Chick-Fil-A President Dan Cathy stated that he was “guilty as charged” when it came to supporting the traditional family, and commented on a radio show that “I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say: You know, ‘We know better than…