Democratic 2016 hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders said he thinks soda taxes would be regressive, but is all for taxing cigarettes, he said during an appearance on Sunday’s “Meet the Press.”
Philadelphia has recently been weighing whether to tax soda to gain revenue for education initiatives, a decision former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supports.
The Vermont senator argued cigarettes are more detrimental to people’s health and low-income families often buy soda.
“There’s a difference between cigarettes and soda. I am aware of the obesity problem in this country,” he said. “But cigarettes are causing cancer, obviously, and a dozen other diseases. And there is almost the question as to why it remains a legal product in this country.”
Sanders said he would prefer the revenue for Philadelphia’s schools come from corporate taxes.
“You have large multinational corporations not paying a nickel in federal taxes,” Sanders said. “That’s where you get the money. Somebody’s making $20,000 a year and they buy a bottle of soda, I don’t think you charge them 30 cents more for that bottle of soda.”
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