Monday, February 28, 2011

Proposed new Alcohol Taxes overall increase of 1135%

Food & Beverage Association Members and Associates,

“Save My California Job” is a coalition of businesses dedicated on getting concerns from our industry front and center with state Legislators and the Governor!

We encourage you to sign up, to keep up dated and find ways you can help fight against oppressive new state taxes.

Stephen A Zolezzi
President, CEO
Food & Beverage Association San Diego County
"Hospitality's Go-To Source"

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Jobs Hang in the Balance as California Seeks Budget Solutions  
         
Unemployment is still high. Jobs are still fleeing the state for greener pastures. Taxes are still a burden on individuals and businesses that are driving the slow recovery from recession. But the threat of new and increased taxes still looms overhead.   

Unfortunately, new taxes are always going to be an attractive solution for some, and alcohol is an easy target for those who want to raise extra revenue for the government to spend.

Indeed, earlier this year some began to tout the supposed benefit of a 25 cent per drink tax for California = $3.5 billion in new revenue.  

How does that translate into higher costs for employers? The tax on a gallon of beer will go from twenty cents to $2.67 per gallon, for wine from twenty cents to $6.60 per gallon, and for distilled spirits from $3.30 to $24.63 per gallon. That's an overall tax rate increase of 1135% that will hit Californians! 

Faced with that extra cost to business, wages and jobs will be threatened and up to 214,000 jobs could be lost statewide. And more employers could end up leaving the state. It's a cost far too high for California taxpayers, workers, and the recovering economy to bear.   

Although no legislator or the governor himself has publicly embraced the quarter per drink tax idea, we cannot assume it's been ruled out.

To save hospitality industry jobs in this already delicate economy, and to keep those small businesses that are driving the economic recovery going, we will remain vigilant about any attempts to tax the hospitality industry.      

We urge you to spread the word about the work we do. Encourage others who will feel the impact of alcohol taxes to go to www.savemycajob.com and sign up as a member so they too can be kept up to date and learn about ways they can help us fight against alcohol taxes.

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